Coworkers Coaching

Have you ever had a co-worker who is a high-performer but criticises and belittles others? The loner teammate who doesn’t like to share the credit? Or the passive-aggressive teammate who undermines your efforts by not engaging?

I don’t know anyone who has not experienced a teammate who gets in the way of team performance at some point. Too many clients have asked me how to coach a co-worker.

Task forces often fail. A culture of coaching teammates can boost performance. Coaching a teammate takes courage and the best intentions, but it costs nothing.

With so much to gain, why don’t we have peer coaching and feedback conversations more often? Because it’s uncomfortable, and the fear of hurting people’s feelings and dealing with potential drama and retribution holds us back.

This fear can keep us from showing up fully and offering healthy coaching instead of heated discussions.

It goes without saying that the better our relationships at work, the happier, more engaged and productive we will be. Instead of focusing our energy on dealing with the problems that come with negative relationships, we can harness our energy positively to allow us to be more creative and the freedom to focus on opportunities.

For a successful career, you need to build positive and healthy relationships with your colleagues, clients and other stakeholders in your organisation. Think about your working relationships and how you can build and maintain stronger relationships that will help you to feel more engaged, open doors to new opportunities and promotion. After all, the more you put into building positive relationships, the more you will get back.