Title: Project Manager as Team Coach - Plan for Success
Headings: The project manager as team coach
The project manager as team coach
How to cite this article:
Pamela Abdon, MBA, PMP
Chapter Vice President, PMI Southwest Missouri
Abstract
Introduction
What Is Coaching and What Is Not Coaching?
Why Should You Coach?
Whom Should You Coach?
When and Where Do You Coach?
How Do You Coach for Success?
How Do You Know When Coaching is Successful?
Conclusion

Content: Individual team members benefit from coaching in several ways. Underperforming team members can be developed to contribute more to the project and star performers can become team players that are more effective by sharing their knowledge with other team members. It is not only important for a project manager to correct poor performance through coaching, it is also important for the project manager to teach the leaders of the team to coach others, thus leveraging personal knowledge for the benefit of the team. Transferring knowledge from one team member to another decreases risks associated with losing key resources, as the knowledge shared minimizes the risk that knowledge will be lost when resources leave the project before the project is completed. Finally, coaching empowers all team members to allow them to think independently and find ways to recognize and reward achievement within the team. Empowerment is a powerful tool in the hands of a project manager as it increases individual and team accountability and motivation to perform. In essence, coaching is about getting the best results from the team by providing them with the skills and knowledge to promote effective decision-making that results in improved project performance. Whom Should You Coach? Coaching is most effective when the person being coached wants to be coached. As long as an individual is willing to be coached, coaching will improve their performance.