Over the last 50 years, I have observed many fads come and go in the human resource arena. Coaching is one of the fads I hope stays, as it fills a void created by management’s failure to develop a personal development plan for each person they manage.

Job-based coaching starts with identifying the key accountabilities of the job with input from the manager to confirm that these key accountabilities truly identify why the job exists. Once they are written and prioritized, you are ready to identify the development issues that lead to job-based coaching.

So let’s look at a typical key accountability for a sales job: To effectively prospect, qualify, demonstrate and close the sale according to company guidelines to ensure sales goals are met while maintaining the company’s integrity and brand image.

Now let’s look at this key accountability and ask:

1. What is the behavior that needs to be exhibited to successfully deliver on this key accountability?
2. What knowledge is required for prospecting and qualifying potential customers?
3. What knowledge is required about customers that will lead to successful demonstrations?
4. What are the competencies required to be a superior performer as it relates to just this key accountability?
5. What is the intrinsic reward that the person will receive when they accomplish this key accountability?
6. What positive attitude will assist in meeting this key accountability?
7. What knowledge must be mastered with regard to integrity and brand image?
8. What knowledge and activities are needed to prospect effectively?

You may think these are tough questions; however, they are critical to job-based coaching. Most coaches are not trained to be focused on the job’s key accountabilities. For example, the answer to question No. 4 should lead to identifying skills such as persuasion, presenting, personal accountability, time management, self management, goal orientation, customer service and interpersonal skills.

Some may argue that personal development coaching will lead to improved job performance. That may be true in some cases. However, starting with job-based coaching will return a better ROI. Also job-based coaching will assure us that coaching will be around forever, as it is needed to hold people accountable to build the skills necessary for superior performance.