As a manager, you’ll inevitably need to spend time actively coaching employees. Perhaps you have a hard-working employee who needs to build certain skills to be more effective on the job. Or maybe you’ve recently promoted a high performer, and you want to ensure that you’ve made the right decision by giving her an opportunity to build new skills. In situations like this, you may find that you’re able to be a very effective coach for your direct report. But in the 15 years I’ve spent on coaching and employee development initiatives, I’ve found that there are certain scenarios when it simply makes sense to call in a professional: