Are your Senior Employees really equipped to Coach?

A senior employee is someone is has been long with the company for many years and is familiar with daily operations.  But that does not mean he or she is equipped to coach. Here are 3 disadvantages that may happen should your senior employee handle the coaching in the wrong way.

1. Senior Employees Bad Habits
Working for many years - can you track any bad habits of this employees? I am sure if you observe enough there will be bad habits.  So be careful if your senior employee has a bad habit and is not willing to give up.  Example smoking.  Employees need to smoke outside of the building.  Would you not think this can pass on to the coachee?

2.Old Ways
After many years on a job, an employee can develop a preference of the old ways of doing things. A new technology is introduced, that senior employee will often find excuses to use his old methods.  This mixture of disregard for new technology and an adherence to the old ways of doing things can pass on to the coachee.

3. Lack of Training Skills
A senior employee is not always sure to be an effective coach.  Some senior employees know their job to well, but are unable to transfer what they know to a new employee.  The mentor may neglect to develop a training guide, which could result in important safety and operational information being left out of the new employee's training.


Folks, the next time you decide to run a coaching program, think wisely. Ask yourself if your employees are ready to become the coach ?  Have you done enough research to ensure this is the right way?  Have you studied the differences of Coaching/Mentoring/Buddying?  Have you understood the pitfalls that can happen which leads to L&D's extra efforts wasted?

Until our next post.