NCJ Number
217766
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 69 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 43-45
Date Published
February 2007
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article explains how correctional managers acting as coaches for their employees can improve the recruitment and retention of the next generation of correctional employees.
Abstract
Correctional organizations can use the coaching style of leadership to build and maintain an atmosphere that attracts dedicated people, optimizes performance, and retains those who are committed to the goals of the organization. Coaching is a style of leadership that motivates employees to reach their potential of performance by setting goals and committing to the achievement of those goals through training and ongoing support from managers. Managers who act as coaches view the organization as a team with a mission and individual employees as players whose performance helps the team achieve its goals. Coaches who are successful in attracting new recruits provide them with a vision of their futures in helping themselves by helping the team to reach its goals. Employees stay with an organization because they are continually reminded by the coach of how important they are to the team because of the work they do. Through motivation, prodding, goal-setting, training, and support, correctional managers acting as coaches provide employees with the mindset that they are an integral part of an organization on a mission to achieve excellence. When manager and employee performance falls short of the goals that have been set, a good coach will admit his/her mistakes and work with employees in analyzing what they can do individually and as a team to correct mistakes and improve performance.