A manager’s personality and behavioral preferences influence his or her coaching style. There are four main coaching styles: driver, persuader, amiable, and analyzer. First, coaches can adopt a driving style in which they tell the employee being coached what to do. Such coaches are assertive, usually talk about tasks and facts, and expose only a narrow range of personal feelings to others.

Second, coaches can use a persuading style in which they try to sell what they want the employee to do. Someone who is a persuader would try to explain to the employee why it is beneficial for the organization, as well as for the employee himself. Third, other coaches may adopt an amiable style and want everyone to be happy. Such coaches are likely to be more subjective and tend not to be very assertive.

Finally, coaches may have a preference for analyzing performance in a logical and systematic way, and then, follow rules and procedures when providing a recommendation. Performance management leadership involves a combination of all of these roles. Sometimes providing direction, sometimes persuading employees how to do things a certain way, sometimes showing empathy and creating positive effects, and sometimes paying close attention to established rules and procedures. An exclusive emphasis on one of these four styles is not likely to help employees develop and grow.