Coaching is the key to achieving a culture of continuous improvement through high-performing agents. This article focuses on the development of the individuals tasked with conducting frontline agent coaching in a contact center, regardless of title. Coaches must possess the right personality traits, coaching competencies, and knowledge to be at the top of their game. Great coaching also requires exposure to various models, styles, and perspectives.
A great example of coaching coaches is during pro football games. Teams have coaches in the skybox studying every play and every movement of their players and the opponent. Skybox coaches send information and recommendations to coaches down on the field to assist in making decisions to help adjust to the prevailing game conditions. Leadership in contact centers should take a lesson from the skybox coaching example.
Just because an agent is a high performer does not automatically make them the right choice to be a coach.
Frequently, high-performing agents receive promotions to coaching positions, often without training or ongoing development. It’s like waving a magic wand over a high-performing agent and magically expecting them to deliver coaching. Common sense suggests that new and veteran coaches require continuous development to succeed.
Why Invest in Training and Coaching Your Coaches?
Agent turnover is a top concern for a majority of contact centers. Based on SQM Group research, agent turnover averages 35-40%. SQM Group research indicated the cost of recruitment, onboarding, training, and productivity/quality ramp-up averages $20k per agent. One-third of agent turnover occurs within the first 90 days of employment. The top reasons for early agent turnover include the wrong fit for the role, poor or no coaching, limited skill/career development, and employee emotional discontentment.
Great coaching is a journey.
The payback of investing in developing coaches will result in a culture of high-performing agents through increased retention, greater engagement, and improved customer satisfaction.
Consider the Following When Developing a Coaching-the-Coach Program
- Get the right people in coaching roles. Just because an agent is a high performer does not automatically make them the right choice to be a coach. Start the recruitment process by seeking the right personality traits in a coach. A coach should be:
- Personality traits are the baseline for a successful coach. There are specific competencies and business acumen a coach should possess. Below is a partial list of desired competencies and business acumen required of a contact center coach:
- Choose or create a coaching model. One such model is C.L.E.A.R. A version of this model is Collaborate, Listen, Explore, Action, and Repeat. The model sets the tone for all coaching activities. A coaching model should:
- Build a coaching training program tailored to the organizational culture. However, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Initial training can come from a 3rd party blended with home-grown content that compliments the culture, requirements, and budget. Initial training should focus on competency development (see list of competencies above). Training should also include the following topics:
- Great coaching is a journey. Initial training is the starting point. Providing development sessions for coaches to hone their skills and knowledge ensures consistent results. Here are several ideas for the ongoing development of coaches:
Developing mentors is a great way to provide career path opportunities.
Consider Including Top-Performing Agents
When you think of coaches in a contact center, the job roles of manager, supervisor, team leader, and quality analyst come to mind. However, if the center utilizes top-performing agents to mentor new agents, these individuals are coaches too. Developing mentors is a great way to provide career path opportunities. Consider providing a coaching development program for these high-performing agents. Mentor programs ensure mentors are prepared to assist new agents. Well-trained mentors will help deliver emotional support to new agents. They also will be better equipped to provide the proper organizational messaging to their peers. Mentors should be positive role models, especially to new agents in their first 90 days of employment.
A well-thought-out coaching development strategy, backed by a supportive coaching culture, will make a difference.
This article appears in January 2024.
