To stay on top, companies need to do more than just tread water-they need to grow. And that means that their employees need to develop and improve their skills at the same pace. More than ever, managers are being encouraged to improve employee performance through effective coaching, but so few of them have the time-or the knowledge-it takes to do it successfully. Brian Emerson and Ann Loehr have spent years showing some of the country's top companies how to develop their most promising employees. Now in this helpful manual they guide managers through every step of the coaching process, from problem solving to developing accountability. Readers will discover: the top 10 tips every manager should know before he starts to coach * how to handle difficult conversations, conflicting priorities, and problem team members * how to hold follow-up meetings after goals and priorities have been set * sample questions they can adapt to various situations * examples of common problems and how they can use coaching to address them. Clear, practical and straightforward, this is an invaluable tool that will help all leaders coach employees, colleagues, and themselves to excellence.