Being a Good Coach
Howdy everyone. Today’s topic is all about effective coaching tips and tricks. This topic received half the number of votes as the Immature Virtual Meeting topic, which means it’s only going to be half as good of an article. That’s right, I lowered the bar. Effective coaching tip #1 — lower their expectations. Just kidding — that’s effective performance review tip #1.
Back to being a good coach. Coaching shares a lot of similarities with mentoring, but coaching is primarily focused on improving job performance. That’s why we have a head coach of the Dallas Cowboys instead of the head mentor. Plus mentors don’t typically get in your face and tell you that you suck and then make you do 50 pushups. Only one of my mentors ever did that to me.
I’ll skip the fundamentals of coaching (like being a good listener, staying positive, and giving helpful feedback), and jump right to the steps that will make you a better coach.
Use your whistle sparingly
- You can’t be an effective coach without a whistle, just like you can’t be an effective analyst without your pocket protector.
- But don’t go nuts. You can’t have your protégé getting desensitized to the whistle. It’s gotta scare ’em into compliance.
- And if you don’t know what a pocket protector is, can you teach me how to make a TikTok video?
Be a consistent presence — Coaching the moment something happens is a lot easier if you’re around.
- It helps to imagine potty training a new puppy. If you don’t correct their behavior soon enough, then they think you’re just being a jerk. And don’t use a rolled up magazine for discipline (on the puppy or on your protégé).
- Be fully present and focused — this isn’t the time for half-assed coaching. This calls for the whole ass.
Aim for one target — It’s hard to coach on 10 tasks at once. Pick the priority and stick to it.
- Clearly define the goal before you get started. It’s all too easy to start improving someone’s presentation skills and end up producing their first solo album.
Use the SMART goal setting technique in your coaching
- What, you thought SMART goals were only to make HR happy? It turns out the SMART goal process is a legitimately good improvement tool. Who knew?
- Yes, that’s the one that asks for Specific and Measurable tasks and ends with –ART.
Keep your protégé accountable for their actions — coaches aren’t the ones who miss field goals.
- Make sure that what they decided to do was deliberate. No points for guessing correctly or stumbling on the right answer.
- Even a broken clock is right twice a day, which is a better rate than most Millennials.
Ask useful questions (after the whistle is blown)
- Bad question — “You done goofed, diddintcha?”. Better question — “What is it that you were trying to do before you done goofed?”
- Use the questions to remind them to practice with intent and to not focus on how truly awful they are at the task.
Ask them to describe what will be different after they have mastered their task
- Aim broad — how will being better at the task improve their job, relationships, and life in general. Nothing like a little added pressure to improve focus.
Don’t forget to stay focused on your coaching goal: Get them good enough so they don’t need a coach (and you can go back to watching Netflix). That right — you want to specifically watch Netflix on your couch for the next 5 days to be measured by how many times Netflix asks if you’re still watching your show. Of course it’s attainable, otherwise it wouldn’t be relevant now would it?
-Philip
