Winning coaches understand if they want to keep winning they can't focus on the score. The score can't be coached or managed. Instead, they have to identify the causes that produce the score they want and start coaching and managing those causes.
Are you running an organization or managing people. Are you an executive who needs to improve their company's results? It's fairly simple, even easy, to identify the results you want or need to produce. However results can't be managed. Improving areas or generating new results requires identifying the causes that produce them and coaching and managing those causes.
The first thing to acknowledge is that all working people are like performing artists. They're really the same as athletes, actors or musicians who need coaching or direction to produce peak performance. Once you acknowledge this you can begin to understand their need to be coached. In fact, you will start to understand what's missing in most organizations. IT'S LEADERSHIP AND COACHING!
Here are the areas and some specifics for you to get started if you are going to stop being a frustrated traditional executive or manager and become a successful leader who coaches people to their peak performance.
Create A Performance Culture
Instill an attitude that their work is a performance art. Build a team of passionate people who care about customers and helping people while being an advocate for their profession. This will require the full force of your will. You'll need a firm belief that you are working to leave a legacy, not just working to produce results. I used to advise my clients to only hire people who already had a passion to pursue being their best and had an outstanding work ethic. This doesn't work any longer because you won't find enough people that possess these traits. We've experienced too much of a deterioration in what's considered average. Our standards have fallen. You need to be prepared to develop and inspire people to grow and improve if you want to be a successful leader or coach.
Instill an attitude that their work is a performance art. Build a team of passionate people who care about customers and helping people while being an advocate for their profession. This will require the full force of your will. You'll need a firm belief that you are working to leave a legacy, not just working to produce results. I used to advise my clients to only hire people who already had a passion to pursue being their best and had an outstanding work ethic. This doesn't work any longer because you won't find enough people that possess these traits. We've experienced too much of a deterioration in what's considered average. Our standards have fallen. You need to be prepared to develop and inspire people to grow and improve if you want to be a successful leader or coach.
Recruiting
Do you know your next employee? Do you have a bench, feeder system? Do you know where to look for your next employee? A coach's first action is to recruit people. This has two purposes. First, performers should know if they don't perform they can be replaced. This is the first step in instilling a performance culture. Second, and more obvious, you need to find the people you want to work with. You want to do this differently than your competition so you have a better chance of hiring people you can coach who will create a winning organization.
Do you know your next employee? Do you have a bench, feeder system? Do you know where to look for your next employee? A coach's first action is to recruit people. This has two purposes. First, performers should know if they don't perform they can be replaced. This is the first step in instilling a performance culture. Second, and more obvious, you need to find the people you want to work with. You want to do this differently than your competition so you have a better chance of hiring people you can coach who will create a winning organization.
Coaching...Attitudes
Attitudes produce actions that generate results. Attitudes are dominant thoughts and beliefs that make up a person's state-of-mind while raising their ability to perform to their peak. Top coaches manage attitudes that create the company's atmosphere or culture. Coaches instill dominant thoughts that create positive attitudes and high emotional intelligence. This requires making personal contact daily with your people to check their attitudes. This allows time for you to support positive attitudes or coach them up to make sure they are ready to perform.
Attitudes produce actions that generate results. Attitudes are dominant thoughts and beliefs that make up a person's state-of-mind while raising their ability to perform to their peak. Top coaches manage attitudes that create the company's atmosphere or culture. Coaches instill dominant thoughts that create positive attitudes and high emotional intelligence. This requires making personal contact daily with your people to check their attitudes. This allows time for you to support positive attitudes or coach them up to make sure they are ready to perform.
Teaching/Training...Skills and Knowledge
Coaches are always teaching. They teach to improve the skills and knowledge of their people. They train people by holding them accountable to learn and improve. It's a coaches responsibility to make sure people train so they are prepared to perform to their peak. Being a teacher and trainer is an ongoing part of being a coach. So, coaches have to study, learn and grow regularly if they are going to be a successful leader. Regular scheduled education for learning and growth are a coaches responsibility but creating a culture where change, learning and growth are a habit is the real requirement for success.
Coaches are always teaching. They teach to improve the skills and knowledge of their people. They train people by holding them accountable to learn and improve. It's a coaches responsibility to make sure people train so they are prepared to perform to their peak. Being a teacher and trainer is an ongoing part of being a coach. So, coaches have to study, learn and grow regularly if they are going to be a successful leader. Regular scheduled education for learning and growth are a coaches responsibility but creating a culture where change, learning and growth are a habit is the real requirement for success.
Managing...Actions
Managing actions is the exercise of assigning and monitoring the work of your people. The people who don't want to improve won't like being held accountable and they often call this micro-management. It's not micro-management, it's responsible management. There are two distinct purposes for monitoring work. The first is accountability. The second, and most important, is to create real life opportunities to coach attitudes, teach skills and knowledge while assigning actions to be taken that you can monitored and do this all again. This is the circle of coaching, teaching, training and managing to coach teach and train that will produce the improved results you desire.
Managing actions is the exercise of assigning and monitoring the work of your people. The people who don't want to improve won't like being held accountable and they often call this micro-management. It's not micro-management, it's responsible management. There are two distinct purposes for monitoring work. The first is accountability. The second, and most important, is to create real life opportunities to coach attitudes, teach skills and knowledge while assigning actions to be taken that you can monitored and do this all again. This is the circle of coaching, teaching, training and managing to coach teach and train that will produce the improved results you desire.
These are just some of the skills a successful leader and coach must master and practice daily. Peak performing management and coaching are often the missing links in a company or organization. I have been coaching, teaching and training executives and managers for more than 20 years. I was first taught these traits by my father, a football coach, and later had them reinforced in one-on-one sessions with John Wooden. I have since practiced, polished and developed them in real life business environments while by implementing them with my clients.
By Mike Moore
