The Care-First Coaching Approach That Transforms Service Teams
Last week, I had one of those moments that reminded me why I love working with emerging leaders so much.
I was sitting with a promising young leader over coffee and cannoli, discussing how to handle team members who are chronically late. What struck me was their initial instinct: "I'd just tell them off for being late and hope they wouldn't do it again."
Sound familiar?
Rather than just talking theory, I suggested we try something different - a role play. This is where the magic happened.
THE CARE-FIRST APPROACH THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
In our first scenario, I demonstrated exactly what I've done in real situations - starting with those three simple but powerful words: "Is everything okay?"
This question opens the conversation with genuine care rather than judgment. It is the cornerstone of my service coaching model that I use in all of my Service Leadership Programs.
I once had a team member who was consistently late. When I began our conversation with a genuine check in rather than criticism, they burst into tears and shared they were going through a painful separation and struggling to manage their children in the mornings. What began as a punctuality discussion transformed into a conversation about how we could support them during a very difficult time.
THE FIVE-STEP SERVCIE COACHING MODEL
We continued our role play through additional scenarios - what if it happened again, and then a third time? With each iteration, my mentee's perspective visibly shifted and explored service coaching model.
By the end of our session, this aspiring leader had completely reframed their approach to addressing critical issues like punctuality, especially crucial in high-volume environments where lateness directly impacts customer experience and the team.
BEYOND PUNCTUALITY: THE APPROACH THAT TRANSOFRMS ANY SERVICE BEHAVIOUR
While we focused on lateness in this particular mentoring session, this service coaching approach works for shifting any service behaviour including:
Inconsistent customer greetings
Incomplete follow-through
Resistance to new procedures
Negative customer or team interactions.
The care-first approach creates the psychological safety needed for real change in all these areas.
What makes service coaching so powerful is that it builds a culture where team members feel valued enough to invest in delivering exceptional service. When people know they'll be approached with care rather than criticism, their willingness to grow and adapt increases dramatically. They even start to look forward to coaching conversations, knowing the learning that can be taken away.
THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE: COACHING CREATES RESULTS
Organisations that adopt coaching and provide staff training consistently experience:
Higher employee engagement and retention
Better growth opportunities for team members
Improved financial performance
Stronger correlation between coaching activities and customer satisfaction.
THE KEY TAKEWAY THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR TEAM TOMORROW
The biggest lesson? Telling seldom works. Always start coaching conversations with curiosity and care. Then build a supportive dialogue by asking questions, discovering root causes, giving time for reflection and following the five-step service coaching model.
While accountability remains essential, it's HOW we have coaching conversations that truly transforms performance.
WANT YOUR TEAM TO EXPERIENCE THIS TRANSFORMATION?
Here are three ways to bring service coaching into your organisation today:
Download my free Service Coaching Quick-Start Guide: Send me an email with "Coaching Guide" in the subject line, and I'll send it to you within 24 hours.
Book a Service Leadership Workshop: Get your entire leadership team aligned on these powerful coaching practices. Please contact me directly to customise a program for your team.
Get your copy of my book: "They Serve Like We Lead: How to Take Care of Your People So They Take Care of Your Customer", chapter 14 contains the complete service coaching model. Reply to this email with "Book Request" in the subject line, and I'll send you a digital copy.
Because at the end of the day, service excellence starts with clearly defining expected behaviours, providing training and recognition, and helping our people be the best they can be through a supportive and caring coaching culture.
Ready to transform your service leadership? Let's connect this week.