Customer Reviews

Coaching for Improved Work Performance, Revised Edition

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To me, this one is a classic. I have introduced the "Book of Ferd" to many of the younger managers in my department, with encouraging results. "Coaching" puts the problem of people management where it belongs, in the lap of the manager, but remarkably (and atypically) provides specific direction as to "what to do differently" in order to overcome the unproductive behaviors of either (or both) the manager or the subordinate. The author provides templates and practical examples on how to handle the actual interview situation (a.k.a. the "confrontation")-- one of the most useful aspects of the book. Some of these examples deal with especially surly and insubordinate employees, and the author shows in dialog form how they can be dealt with in real time-- something they don't cover in engineering school. The only criticism I would make is that some of the strategies described in the book are most directly applicable to managers who are dealing with production or sales people; situations where output can be readily measured. In the case of employees such as engineers or R&D personnel, where evaluating performance is not so simple, the author punts by saying that if you have a hard time finding an objective measure of job performance, it means that "you haven't found a way to measure it yet". Not too helpful. Having said this, however, from experience, many of the performance problems we encounter in technical management are not so different from those found on the production line. By applying the techniques described in the "Book of Ferd" any manager can feel much more confident and deal more effectively with problem--and high-performing--employees.

As a consultant for small companies, I have found using Ferdinand F. Forunies' book,"Coaching for Improved Performance" an outstanding success. It has been very well accepted and an easy read for "Leads". The Coaching Analysis prepares them to then know when to use the Coaching discussion. New people to the supervision field come not knowing what to do. After reading the book and seeing the "Face to Face" video are ready to be trained in working with their employees for improved performance. I have not found any material that comes close to this material as a training vechical. I have used this material for over 15 years.

This is one book that delivers exactly what it promises: a method for bringing non-performers off of the fence and in to the game. The coaching process as spelled out in this book takes all of the awkwardness out of the usual face-to-face discussions that we use in an attempt to improve performance levels. There are many themes that run throughout the book that many managers need to come to grips with: managers are not as effective at managing people as they are processes; employees fail because their managers have failed to give them more constructive alternatives in place of their self destructive behaviors; effective interpersonal communication is vital to improving work performance; and theories of motivation cannot help you increase the level of buy-in your employees have in your plan. This book is a must read for every manager who has finally realized that you win through people and sincerely wants to know how to do it.

Novice and experienced managers, coaches and teachers, and anyone else who wants to influence other peoples' behavior or performance will benefit from Ferdinand F. Fournies' book on coaching. He describes specific intervention tactics and shows how to apply them. Use this manual to eliminate managerial frustration. It can be your stepping stone to creating a successful, high-performing department. Fournies' concepts can help even seasoned managers deal with difficult staff, solve problems in their departments and achieve greater results through their employees. If you are a new manager or wish to be one, this essential resource and training tool is required reading. We also recommend it as a strong addition to any management curriculum.

The key focus for any person in a management, leadership, or mentoring position should always be to help their employees be as fulfilled as possible. In many ways that is the definition of management - that the manager's main task is to manage people. It is their duty, their job to help those they are managing. Many managers lose track of that - they yell at their employees, mistreat them, and work them to the bone. This then results in the employee's losing motivation or even quitting. Rather than the boss' activities helping his company, he is actually causing serious harm.

This book helps to remind all who have responsibility for people that they need to take that responsibility very seriously.

First, the book goes over the basics of what it means to be a manager. A manager achieves results through others. It is what the manager's *reports* do which is important. Therefore, a manager must do everything he can to help his reports succeed. If an employee fails, it's really the manager who has failed.

Each employee (typically) only has one manager. Therefore, as challenging as it might be, a manager must treat every employee as if she was the only one. This can be tough! If a manager greets 20 employees during a morning, the 20th greeting must be as honestly sincere and warm as the first. A manager who "wears out" and gives that 20th employee only a half-hearted HI is not giving that "last employee" their fair share. Your task as a manager is to make the effort to care for all employees as well as you can, to learn the techniques to help them succeed.

Every employee needs recognition, needs to be shown when they are improving. Even "failing less frequently" is very important. A manager doesn't have a PhD in psychoanalyzing. You can't pretend to be a therapist. Your job is to fairly provide them with all the options you can, explain their tasks, praise them when they succeed.

Labeling people tends to restrict your options with them, and should be avoided. If you call someone "lazy" then you tend to treat them in a certain way which can greatly hinder their ability to succeed. Rather than falling back on labels, treat each person as an individual and work with their specific needs and situations.

Managers who call their workers "lazy" or "unmotivated" often haven't taken the time to really understand the situation. The book gives MANY examples where a manager made that sort of judgement about a person - and then further investigation found something quite different to be the cause. For example one manager thought his truck-packing people were careless, but actually boxes were being thrown at them so quickly that they had no choice but to stack them haphazardly.

Employees tend to do the best they can in a given situation. You as a manager might look at someone and say "why in the world did they not create a full report? They only gave me half of what I wanted." In many cases, though, the employee honestly thinks they are giving you everything you need. If you sit down and create a checklist with them, and ensure they follow it, that can often help. That way they really do know what you want. Another thing the book reminds you is that humans crave attention. It might be that the only time you pay attention to certain people is when they make a mistake! They might subconsciously be making mistakes to get that attention.

Your task as a manager is to help them see all their options, to learn about new alternatives. You need to help them know when they are on the right path by providing specific, positive, prompt feedback on anything good they do. If you find something negative going on, you need to work to change that *behavior* - you can't ever change a person.

Another issue the book brings out is that people rarely hear - verbatim - what you say to them. Their mind is constantly thinking and interpreting and guessing. So most of what the book teaches as your technique is to work conversations so that they are complete sentences. This technique works well for relationships too! You should never ask "yes/no" questions. You should phrase your responses so you repeat back their sentiments, so that they become more fully understood. You should phrase questions or comments to them so that they then explain the idea back to you.

If you find all of this to be "common sense" that you could use no help with, then congratulations! You're in the 1% of the population who is an ideal manager and needs no help. However, for the rest of us 99% people, even if some of this seems familiar, the "how to" for dealing with difficult situations alone is worth the price of this book. What I've described above isn't even one small part of what the book steps you through.

Highly recommended!

This is an excellent book on coaching. You will read other views here to the contrary, but that is largely due to the many interpretations of the word "coaching." My primary focus is coaching managers and salespeople in a highly demanding, very technical field. There are many useful and effective tools presented in Fournies' work. Not everything will be applicable in every situation, but this book will give you many ideas for respectful, empathic coaching. If you are a "life coach" or a "mentor" you may prefer other techniques, but you'll still find some good advice here. Looking for achievement and opportunities to provide reinforcement can hardly be considered bad advice. Many managers simply don't know how to make the transition from technical expert or great performer to someone responsible for the performance of others. Fournies gives some valuable tips on doing so.

My recommendation is to read several books on coaching, beginning with John Whitmore's 3rd edition of Coaching for Performance. If you coach salespeople, also read Managing Major Sales by Rackham and Ruff. And if you are coaching others, read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman; coaching others requires, first and foremost, self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy. Goleman's book will raise awareness of the importance of these qualities in business and in life.

If you are responsible for the day-to-day supervision or management of human resources in your company this book is a must. This book will help you deal with your employees performance and redirect their behavior in ways not taught in a traditional classroom setting. This book, from a legal and humane perspective, outlines the perfect way to manage a group of people, shedding the need to deal with attitudes or personalities and dealing with the behavior-based performance issues that result in measurable improvement. Your employees and your company will greatly appreciate the techniques outlined in this book, and it will keep you out of trouble at the same time. If you are in management of people, this is the most important book you can ever read. More important than any other single managerial aspect, redirecting people's behavior through coaching is your prime respponsibility. You get paid for what your people do, they are your scorecard. You do not have to be an expert in whatever aspect of the business you are engaged, you must get things done through others and help them be successful. Your people are your experts, and when they fail, you fail. This book should be required reading in every college management program, simply because this book encompasses the real nature of what managers will be getting paid to do for the remainder of their careers. Buy it. You won't be sorry.

There are so many challenges in being a manager in today's world and so little time to figure out how to deal with them all. This great little book provides a very pragmatic approach for improving work performance. Too many books provide general guidance that tends to fall apart during implementation. The methods in this book work and don't require months before you see the results. If you have performance problems with even one worker, you need this book!

I wandered into a library 20 years ago looking for a book on managing people and was lucky enough to find Coaching for Improved Work Performance first. It's guidance and basic precepts have proven true time and time again in my experience working wiht individuals from all walkks of life. Throught the years I have attended and led many training sessions on managing people. Each of them merely rephrase the sage advice given in this book. I recommend it to anyone in their first 1-5 years of leading teams and have personally purchased it for coworkers and relatives embarking on this track.

I've been a proponent of this book for several decades now, in its many incarnations. I've lent out and replaced so many copies that I've lost count. I've recently made it required reading for all of my supervisors, and have already begun to see improvements in problem solving, employee relations, and overall morale.
This is not a manual for team building, nor is it a psychological study, or approach, to people management. Rather, it is a practical step-by-step guide to understanding why particular employees are under-performing, and a plan, with tips, on how to help that individual improve their performance. Most importantly to me, at this stage of my career, it helps leaders, supervisors, and managers develop a better perspective of their true relationship with their staff; as Fournies puts it at is baldest "you need them more than they need you".
I believe it fits well with the Lean-TPS concepts of Employee Empowerment, and provides an excellent tool for Lean Change Leaders to persude those reluctant to accept those changes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who directs the work of others.