Florence M. Stone - Coaching, Counseling & Mentoring: How to Choose & Use the Right Technique to Boost Employee Performance

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This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stone, Florence M.

1999 AMACOM, an imprint of AMA publications, a division of American Management Association, New York.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.

This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, an imprint of AMA publications, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

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If your organization is to sustain its competitive advantage, it needs employees who are productive and willing to continually learn and adapt as their roles change along with the organization. Today's companies need people who at best exceed expectations and at worst meet standards. Managers with good people skills can get that kind of performance from their employees by using the tools of coaching, counseling, and mentoring. Because it means better bottom-line results, organizations recognize and reward such managers. Being a good coach, counselor, and mentor could be your ticket to advancement.

Now, with escalating time pressures and constant change, upper management is on the lookout for managers who can recruit capable employees, develop the skills they need to do today's jobs, and prepare them to handle tomorrow's jobs as well; who recognize their obligation to confront poor performers and who will work with these people to find a solution or make the tough decisions to terminate those who are dragging down the rest of the team; and who can keep their superstars shining even when there is little opportunity for advancement or dollars for increased performance.

In short, organizations want and reward managers who are skilled at the managerial tasks of coaching, counseling, and mentoring. Note that they are referred to here as "managerial responsibilities" and with good reason; coaching, counseling, and mentoring, while people-oriented, are very much a part of a manager's joband have always been so. The demands on organizations, however, have made them critical skills today. Which is why this book has