It should now be clear that an employee’s direct supervisor or manager bears a major responsibility for coaching. Many people in an organization can serve as mentors, teach new skills, or help overcome specific problems. Many business professionals today are making use of a personal coach from outside of their current organization to assist them in their professional development.

However, coaching most often occurs within the context of an ongoing relationship between an employee and their supervisor. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that employees perform their tasks effectively. The supervisor delegates assignments, establishes standards, and monitors performance, and is therefore uniquely equipped with sufficient information, opportunity, and authority to carry out coaching effectively. Often, one of the primary roles of managers and supervisors in team-based organizations is that of coach.