5 Strategies to More Effectively Coach Nursing Staff

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

“Look, coaching is about human interaction and trying to know your players. Any coach will tell you that. I am no different.” – Bill Parcells

Why are some nurse leaders so much more effective than others in leading their teams to better outcomes? A senior nursing leader recently told me that her lack of success was because “she did not have the right people on the bus” to use a Quint Studer metaphor. She might be right about not having the right staff and leadership in place, but maybe it was not the whole story. As I reflected on what she was telling me about her situation, I wondered about her role in what was happening. Throughout my career, I have seen nurse leaders come into challenging situations and create what appear to be miraculous changes. What sets them apart in my experience is their ability to effectively coach staff.

The Role of Coaching

We know from nursing research that using a transformational leadership style has been shown to build healthy work environments, empower staff and result in better patient outcomes. Transformational nurse leaders are also very effective coaches. Moving everyone forward to a vision and goal cannot happen without good coaching. Coaches work toward helping members of their team to perform at the best of their abilities. They let their staff know that they are valued members of the organization and have the potential to make great contributions. They see potential in people that might be overlooked by others and use that potential.

Five Coaching Strategies

1. Get to know your staff on a personal level and maximize their strengths.

Part of the joy of being human is the recognition that we are all different and have unique gifts. Everyone has strengths and weakness. Effective coaches realize that people don’t change that much. A key insight that authors Buckingham and Coffman heared echoed by the world’s greatest managers in their book First Break all the Rules was the following: “People don’t change that much. Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough.” This is counter-intuitive to what most managers do in having the same expectations in every area for all their staff, but great coaches realize that this is good advice. They select their team for their talents rather than simply years of experience, define the right outcomes, focus on the employee’s strengths and help their staff find the right fit for their skill set.

2. Let staff know how they fit into the work of the organization.

A key element in forming a strong sense of community is a shared vision among team members in the purpose of work and common values. We can sometimes make assumptions that there is a shared sense of purpose and values among staff but this may not be case. To build a sense of community, leaders need to coach staff and capture their ideas about purpose and values so consensus can be built. This is the only way to truly build engagement and enthusiasm around the work.

3. Don’t overlook poor performance.

It is easy to be a great coach when things are going well and everyone is performing at their highest capability. The real test for a coach is how poor performance is managed. The whole team watches this. When you see poor work, you must address it and in a timely way. It should be done privately and positively. You need to show you care, ask good questions, offer practical advice and initiate an action plan. This may take repetition but it needs to be addressed every time and if there is no change, there need to be ramifications. Good coaches never make this personal but rather a professional expectation.

4. Reward good performance and let staff know that their performance matters.

Leaders as coaches show that they value employees. Nurses want to know that their work matters and that they are contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way. This has to be verbalized. Great coaches look to build strong teams; they create an environment that fosters trust and collaboration. They celebrate and openly acknowledge good work in very specific ways.

5. Teach, Develop and Train

Most nursing staff today look for opportunities to develop their skills and mastery at their jobs. Mastery is a desire to get better and better at something that matters. This requires opportunities to learn, practice and make mistakes. It also required good coaching. When environments or leaders don’t support this learning, staff can disengage and lose interest in their work. If a staff member does not see future opportunities for growth, they may resist returning to school for a higher level of education or leave an organization for lack of opportunity. Great coaches look for developmental opportunities for their staff.

Coaching in nursing today matters more now than ever. Our younger nurses seek it in their employers. Above all, coaching is the process of letting people know that what they do matters to you. So the next time, you look at a leader who is not succeeding – perhaps the reason is that they are not coaching their team.

Read to Lead

Buckingham, M. & Coffman, C. (1999). First Break all the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers do Differently. Simon and Schuster.

Meister, J.C. & Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 Workplace: How innovative companies attract, develop and keep tomorrow’s employees today. New York: Harper Business.