Ask Coach: How Do I Develop My Staff To Believe In Themselves?

By Rich Anderson, executive coach with HTG Peer Groups

Q: How do I develop my staff to believe in themselves?

Coach: I am going to answer this question with some lessons I learned from my father and a swamped canoe. Before I tell my story, I want to remind you of the challenge you face.

The Challenge: Remember, You Only See The Tip Of The Iceberg

Every school teacher knows that every child has a home life that has a huge impact on learning, behavior, and self-esteem. When engaging with a challenging child, it could be said that the teacher only sees the tip of the iceberg. The mass of an iceberg is unseen, hidden below the surface. The unseen, hidden mass in a child’s life, which has a huge impact on the child, is the child’s home life.

So it is with you and your employees. Just as a school teacher must deal with the unseen reality of a pupil’s home life, you must deal with the unseen reality of the prior life of your employees.  Their teachability, their behavior, and their self-esteem all flow out of the life experiences they have had before they came to you. 

Your challenge is to be the good employer, the good teacher, and the good mentor they may never have had.

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