Coaching

Happy June!  Summer, here we come!  This month I want to discuss coaching.  I have talked before about utilizing a coach.  Now, I want to talk about being a coach.  I have been blessed with three different coaches across my nine-plus years with ProRecruiters.  They have challenged me to grow by evaluating what I’ve done and what I’m doing in order to determine what I will do going forward.

Unfortunately, I do not always serve as a coach to my own team. Creating an environment in which you function as coach to your team benefits everyone. It helps you to see what’s working, what’s not, and potential areas of growth. It allows team members to discover their potential by being challenged to excel. It reveals potential problems while they are still “potential” problems.  And the cherry on top: it builds camaraderie throughout the team.

As I have researched coaching, I’ve learned several foundational principles that must be in play if you want to create a team atmosphere. First, coaching requires confidentiality and trust. Team members must be transparent about their goals, their strengths, and their shortcomings, or else they will not thrive; coaches must be credible, reliable, open, and empathetic, or they will never earn the respect and trust of the team. Building this type of environment takes time. You have to earn trust, not command it.

Second, coaching assumes that solutions are to be found with the person being coached. Good coaches do not force-feed answers; instead, they help team members to discover the answers for themselves. This is tough for people like me, who like to rescue and fix situations. There are several problems with coaches simply handing out answers: it strips team members of the self-esteem and confidence boosts that come with solving a problem; often, the answers given turn out not to be the best answers, anyway; and it destroys the team dynamic that is built upon all people contributing. The best way to move toward a healthy dynamic is by asking lots of questions and inviting team members to solve them.

Third, coaching assumes that the coach and the team members are on the same level; there is no hierarchy of value. Of course, each business will have some who are “higher up” on the ladder, but for the purposes of coaching, all are treated as equal participants in the conversation.

Fourth, coaching is focused on the future. Of course you will look to the past and to the present. But you do so with the purpose of learning what to do going forward. I think of football teams that study game film. Sure, the film is a recording of something that has already happened. Nothing can be changed about the past. But by studying the film, the team learns what worked, what didn’t, so that they can be prepared for what comes next. They do not dwell on the past; they concentrate on what’s next. The same goes with businesses: we can celebrate our past victories and lament our losses. But both are gone. All we can change is the future. Both coach and team members should leave coaching sessions by agreeing on what steps to take next. Personally, I like to utilize SMART goals for future sessions.

Building a dynamite team starts at the top. By taking seriously your potential role as coach, you can empower your team to achieve all their biggest goals. And in the process, everyone wins. If we can help you with any of your HR or Staffing needs across this summer please, call us 918-551-7767. We are here to help you grow your team!