Getting Results

Don’t get me wrong, evaluation processes are extremely important and an excellent tool, especially in sport. But what does an ENFP or ESFP have to do with productivity? That is what coaches and coaching is all about. “Improving production is why we coach and get coached.” Personal or otherwise, everyone wants to see an improvement in some area. So if you are new to coaching or want to implement a simple structured approach to your coaching experience, these steps may be for you.

I will submit to you that the “KISS” principle (keep it simple smart) is usually the best place to start in coaching. Remember there are really 5 simple steps to coaching or helping someone or something get better.

1. Identify the goal – Start with the end in mind. What is the desired outcome? What are the measurable goals?
2. Evaluate – What are the person’s or organization’s skill sets or possible gaps to meeting the expectations? (Physical, emotional and environmental)
3. Plan – Put together a plan to develop and acquire the skill sets (physical, emotional or environmental) to meet the desired outcome. Share the plan with the people you are coaching!
4. Instruct – Execute the coaching plan (practice, learning, developing cohesion, motivational).
5. Grade the results – This will tell you if you were successful meeting the desired outcome. This will tell you if you were successful contributing to someone or something getting better. Remember, “What is measured is gained”.

I wish you well in your coaching endeavors, and trust that a more pragmatic and simpler approach will serve you well.

Sports vs Business Coaching

I have worked as a collegiate and professional football coach for over 20 years. Throughout that time I have also had the opportunity to work as an executive coach and consultant. The business and sport fields are very similar as they imply key coaching components. Evaluations, training, performance appraisals and team building are just some of the crossovers that are prominent in both arenas. There are some significant differences that do apply. The onboarding process, contracts and accountability measures among them. Having said that, I have noticed that coaching comes down to one thread. “Have I contributed to making someone or something better?” As coaching professionals in business, sport or education, our first responsibility is to answer this question with an emphatic “yes”. The level of improvement and how you are judged to be successful will always be determined by someone else’s measuring criteria.

There is a guru for every facet of human development today. We can get mired in too much analysis. I call it “paralysis by analysis”. Coaching and personal development stagnate because we are often not sure what to do with the information or define what is really pertinent. In sport, we call it “over coaching”. I have heard of executives who went to organizational coaching sessions and came out simply knowing what their personality trait is. Excellent information, but that alone begs me to ask the question: “How does that make you or the organization better?” Personally, I would have returned back and lied on the sofa.