During International Coaching Week (May 5-11), we’re reminded of the important role coaching plays in effective leadership. When it comes to disciplinary procedures, managers can easily make mistakes if they’re not sure what to do.
Ask any seasoned HR professional what lands businesses in employment tribunals most often, and they’ll likely say, “a poorly handled disciplinary process”. It’s not usually the initial issue like lateness, misconduct, or underperformance that gets employers in trouble. It’s the way it is dealt with.
And here’s the thing, most managers don’t mishandle disciplinaries because they’re careless or indifferent. They do it because they’re unsure, nervous, or simply unaware of the correct steps. This is where coaching can be a game-changer.
Why Coaching, Not Just Training?
Traditional training tells managers what to do. Coaching helps them feel confident doing it. It encourages them to think critically, reflect on real scenarios and handle conflict with a calm, fair approach. And when it comes to disciplinaries, confidence and clarity make all the difference.
Let’s break down where things often go wrong, and how coaching helps to fix it.
3 Common Disciplinary Pitfalls Managers Make
- Jumping the Gun
- Missing the “Fair Process”
- Investigation first
- Invite to the disciplinary hearing with clear allegations
- Provide the right to be accompanied
- Provide a chance to respond
- Ensure the outcome/final decisions is proportionate to the situation
- Getting Personal or Emotional
What Coaching Looks Like in Practice
You don’t need to overcomplicate it. Coaching could be a short 1:1 session with a manager before a planned disciplinary, debriefing a tricky conversation they’ve had with a team member, role-playing how to open a disciplinary meeting calmly and clearly, or supporting them to plan and document the process properly.
Done consistently, this builds muscle memory. Managers become better not only at disciplinaries, but also at conflict resolution, communication, and decision-making.
Warning Signs to Look For
If you hear any of the following from your managers, or even catch yourself thinking this as a small business owner, coaching could be extremely useful:
“I told them last week to sort it out, what more can I do?”
“It’s obvious they’re not a good fit.”
“We’ve had enough of this.”
“I just want to get rid of them.”
These are all red flags. Coaching helps managers reframe those frustrations into fair, structured action that protects both your people and your business.
Little Steps, Major Outcomes
The goal isn’t to turn every manager into an HR expert. It is to give them just enough coaching support to handle conflict calmly, follow procedures correctly, and make sound, fair decisions. That alone can save you legal costs, reputational damage and lost morale.
Need Help Coaching Your Managers?
At Dakota Blue Consulting, we offer manager coaching sessions and HR consultancy support to help businesses like yours stay confident, compliant, and people-focused, especially in difficult situations. Whether it's one-off guidance or ongoing training, we’ve got your back. Want to make disciplinaries less daunting? Get in touch to book a coaching session or explore our manager training options.