It is easy to spot the difference between a work team that is "motivated" and one that just goes through the motions. The motivated team produces at or above the level expected by top management, has only occasional absences or tardiness, and low employee turnover. The second group has trouble meeting its goals, greater absenteeism, and higher turnover. In addition, members of the latter work team may be more apt to argue with one another or to band together against their supervisor. Can a supervisor who is also a good coach really make a difference? The answer is a definite "yes" with a few qualifiers.

There are three things you can do to have a solid, productive work force. 1. Hire only fully competent people who already know the job and who do things right all the time. There aren't many such people but you could look around and keep on searching. -- 2. Wish for a miracle. -- 3. Take the employees you have and train them to be highly competent. Of these three choices, doing a good job of training and coaching is the most practical way to have successful and productive employees. Training is teaching employees the necessary skills before they are given the job to do on their own. Coaching is helping employees day-by-day to do a better job. It's making them more able to do their present job on their own and to enjoy doing it well. It's also preparing them for bigger future responsibilities. Good coaching is motivating people to want to do the best they can and more.

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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.