The employee development style that is used to assist the employees in improving their skills knowledge is:

• A. Controlling
• B. Directing
• C. Coaching
• D. Counseling

Answer: (C)

Coaching is about developing people’s capabilities through a collaborative, skill-building approach. It focuses on identifying skill gaps, setting development goals, and guiding learning through observation, feedback, and practice. This makes it the best fit for improving skills and knowledge because the emphasis is on growth and building competence, not just telling someone what to do or checking their compliance.

Directing tends to be task‑driven, with instructions given in a top‑down way, which can limit how much the person learns beyond the immediate task. Controlling focuses on monitoring and enforcing standards rather than expanding ability. Counseling addresses personal or emotional issues and decision-making support, not primarily the development of technical skills or knowledge.

In practice, a supervisor using coaching would discuss the skill gap with the employee, demonstrate the correct approach, let the employee practice with guided feedback, and set a development plan with milestones to track progress.