Dispirited and disinterested employees can be found in any company. No matter how stringent the hiring process, one or two can slip through the cracks. Because their behavior can be directly opposed to the company’s aims and goals, having one in your midst can affect company morale and team productivity. Turning these employees around before they become uncoachable, is a true test of skill for good managers.

Contrary to what the term implies, uncoachable employees are not lost causes. They can still become good, productive employees with a positive future outlook in the organization if the underlying reason can be addressed.  There are several factors which may cause an employee to be deemed uncoachable.

– Are they inherently lazy? Are they willing and driven to perform even the most basic tasks assigned?
– Do they have different goals or strategies from your organization?
– Do they feel they’re in the wrong job or are in the wrong field? Perhaps they wanted to be in sales but were placed in administration for lack of openings.
– Do they take direction well, or are they too sensitive to listen to guidance? Do they feel they are always correct?
– Are they interested in upward mobility? Do they believe they have a future in the organization or do they see it is a dead-end job?

Each of these factors necessitates a different strategy. Successful coaching requires employee cooperation and management team time, energy and resources.  Firing is a drastic measure and is done as a last resort measure.

Caring For Their Future

The importance of genuine care and trust in the manager-employee relationship cannot be overstressed. Employees are more likely to respond to coaching strategies if they feel their leader genuinely cares for their well-being and has their best interest at heart. Millennials, especially, need to feel that in addition to profit motives,  their career development is important. When they feel valued, millennials are more likely to engage in open communication and will identify and manage problems more effectively.

A Change in the Right Direction

Employees who are in the wrong job or field may be the easiest to identify.  These employees are not unmotivated. They may have the drive to succeed but their skills don’t match their current position. Good managers ask: “Is there a role in my organization where I can best make use of this person’s talents? Is this employee simply unchallenged in his/her position?  How welcome will re-assignment be for the employee?”

Convert Negative Behavior in a SMART Way

Long term change doesn’t happen overnight. Lasting change must be made in increments. The change proposed for the employee must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-bound (SMART). Some employees can be sensitive to a manager’s feedback, but if the manager focuses on their behavior, they are less likely to take suggestions personally. Creating an action plan for change with employee input increases employee buy-in while also increasing the likelihood that permanent and effective change will occur.

Good coaching from great managers includes both positive and negative feedback.  The employee who is more resistant to coaching needs very specific feedback. When the SMART technique is used, many “problem employees” can develop into productive and self-driven employees who are aligned with their teams. Some employees, on the other hand, may continue to be uncoachable and will need to be let go. When these employees are coached well, even the experience of being let go can be the beginning of a new opportunity for them.  It does not necessarily need to result in a sense of failure.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/315404

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