I have often referred to the fact that coaching and managing in the workplace have many similar aspects as both are based in having leadership skills and the ability to lead a diverse group of individuals towards achieving a common objective. Read articles or books about leadership and without requiring specificity , you could apply many if the suggestions on the fields or in the workplace.
In order for "teams" to succeed they require a good coach. This is a proven fact. A leaderless group might do well short term but without someone in front, showing the way, a group of individuals, no matter how like minded will flounder at some point. So what does it mean to be a good coach? A good coach makes magic happen. They takes a bunch of pieces, put them together and find a way to make them work in perfect harmony with each other. Regardless of industry or sport, a good coach is a good leader and they all have a unique and superior way of putting the pieces together. They understand that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They bring people together and are the foundation of any winning organization or team. So what constitutes a good coach, what make a great coach stand out among good coaches ? To begin, the truth with any team or group, regardless of how they are put together, it remains a collection of individuals. As a starting point, successful coaches fully understand this reality and prepare themselves to deal with it. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player. A really good coach, like a good leader in any work environment realizes how each member of the team can best contribute to the team’s success. So many times in business, take restaurant kitchens for example, there is a clear hierarchy in the division of tasks. As with any team, you might take a look at a kitchen staff and see very talented, strong individuals but in the wrong position. Not everyone is meant to be a grill cook, or work the condiments line. That same individual, however, might be a great pantry cook or prep cook. To be a good leader, to be the coach, you need to put your players in the best situation for them to succeed. You need to know not only what each person can bring to the team, but also how their individual skills set relates to everyone else. Good coaches understand the different personalities of their players and how to manage them. I remember when I made my cegep varsity soccer team. I was a hardworking, honest player, a regular team captain, with a certain level of success having always been a starter on my various competitive teams. My success was more about my work ethic and compete level and not about my natural athleticism of technical ability. For the first time, I found myself on a team with players somewhat older than myself, from different environments, and a coach who I will say was completely different than any other coach I had ever had. He didn't know me since he had worked in the club youth system for quite a while and more importantly in my opinion didn't take the time to understand my skill set. All I really remember from those practices many years ago were the four letter curse words shot in my direction, combined with a questioning of how was I ever able to play on any competitive team in the past. He knew many of the older players from the squad and was able to communicate with them if very specific coaching cues that we all new for me. It took one of the veteran players on the squad who played with our club's top senior team ( and knew me) speaking to him on my behalf to tell how my abilities could help the team. Some players respond well to being yelled in front of the entire team, while many cringe at the very thought of it — they need to have that conversation after practice or work on the side, one on one. You need to understand the power you have as a coach to create the chemistry and dynamic within your organization, and it is directly related to your ability to connect with each member of the team and meet them where they are. One size certainly doesn’t fit all. A good coach lets you shoot when it counts and doesn’t condemn you if it doesn’t go in. In every game or in any type of team environment, there will be a “last second” shot type of situation where the coach does their best to put the team in a position to succeed, but then has to pass their trust over to the team and to someone to take that integral “shot”. Maybe it’s an important position on a busy night, whatever it is, it’s important that the coach trust whoever is at the helm — whomever it is that controls the way the night is going to go. Trust and empowerment within an organization is powerful. Even when the shot misses, sometimes erratically, it’s important that the leader stand there beside the team, support them and help them through the struggle — once the dust is settled, then it’s time to figure out how the x’s and o’s could have been better executed. So, have you ever been watching a game, maybe it’s pretty close and one of the coaches pulls a move out of their back pocket and you thought to yourself, " What is that coach thinking?" I think we all have. I lived it as a spectator and player and assuredly, have had players and spectators think that about me when seeing some of my coaching decisions. Successful coaches are constantly taking the pulse of the situation in front of them and aren't afraid to make spur of the moment decisions even when it might deviate from a well established and prepared plan even when it appears to be a risk most observers might not be willing to take. In our organizations, sometimes we need to make decisions that don’t make sense to those around us, especially in the short term. With that being said, it’s important that we communicate the vision and direction for our organizations so that when we make certain decisions, our teams and players understand the rationale behind them. It’s so incredibly important to have a clear vision of the future and what we think is the best way to get there — this allows for us to take risks and chances — but only if our teams understand where it is we are going and why. They have to be on the bus before we can move it forward. Everyone on the team needs to know their role and feel like their role is important. A team of superstars, all with the exact same skill set with over time not be successful. When i coached, I often spoke about needing the select the best team, as in the best group of players with complimentary skills and not simply the top players. Simple example, if we had a 5th year player who had previously been a starter and had been bumped out of the lineup by new players, would the team be best served keeping her over say a 1st year player of comparable skill who might more easily accept sitting on the bench knowing that she could earn a starting spot in subsequent years. Would the veteran accept this lesser role willingly and remain positive or mirth she become a malcontent, Part of the issue as as mentioned earlier, knowing the individual. However it also means being clear and transparent with everyone about their role. In this type of case, we would typically speak to the athlete and the discussion would have two parts, 1. explaining what we felt her new role would be and our expectations in terms of her attitude and behavior 2. but also soliciting an agreement from the individual about accepting the change in a positive manner with the a clear message that if it became an issue, exclusion from the team could occur. It doesn’t take much to show the people on our teams that we appreciate them — often, all it takes is few kind words at the end of a shift, a ride home, or an extended break in the middle of a grueling shift. We need to look for ways to show the people in our organizations that we appreciate them, however large or small their role might appear to be. They will work better, harder and with more loyalty, almost without fail. If managed right, individuals even with lesser roles in a group but that contribute to the achievement of common goals, can find motivation to give their best. A coach truly cares for their team, not just has players or workers, but as people. At the end of the day, the role of a coach or leader is to facilitate an environment that helps get things done that move us closer to success. It’s really about investing in each person on the team on an individual basis and being connected to the growth that they make within the organization. It’s not about making someone a better player, it’s about investing in someone to help be a part of creating a better human being and then, the en d result is that they become a better player or employee. This is the right thing to do, ethically, but it’s also the right thing to do in a business sense — the more the various members of a team feel like the person in charge has a genuine interest in their well-being, the more willing each player will be to go to bat for the team and make sacrifices. That’s how you create loyalty and trust among a group of people. Invest in them first, and they’ll go to war for you. A good coach leads players to a place where they will be better than the coach ever was. Much of a coach’s success is directly linked to the kind of impact that they can have on the players with whom they mentor. This means leaving them in the best position to succeed. In the truest sense of this ideal, a coach creates players who are far better than they will ever be. This is scary for a lot of ego-driven chefs and leaders around the world, but to truly make an impact worth talking about takes giving those under one’s care the very best opportunity to succeed. The goal is to leave the generation coming behind us with more tools, more knowledge and more understanding of the craft, so that they can they can then do the same for the generation behind them. A good or great coach leaves individuals with a set of skills that they will pass on to others.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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