TEN TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COACHING

Many training programs are being conducted on “Effective Coaching”. Trainers need to understand some principles and techniques for coaching so they can be effective coaches and conduct an effective program for managers.

Here are ten tips that will help you become a better coach and provide content for a class for managers. For each of the following ten items indicate whether you agree (A) or disagree (DA). Then read my “correct” answers and the rationale for them.

1.	Managing a group of employees is very different from coaching a team of athletes.
2.	Managers, as well as coaches, should treat everyone equally.
3.	The most important characteristic of a manager/coach is to set an example.
4.	Getting the job done (winning) is more important than building good attitudes and morale.
5.	When subordinates have been trained to do a job, they should be given the freedom to do it differently if they wish.
6.	Action should be taken to remove (transfer, terminate) employees/players who can’t do the job.
7.	Outstanding performance by an employee should be rewarded by promotion to a higher level job whenever an opening occurs.
8.	It is more important for employees/players to perform effectively as team members than to perform effectively as individuals.
9.	Positive reinforcement should be given an employee (player) even if the performance does not meet the standard established by the boss (coach).
10.	Coaching by a manager (coach) is a daily process.

I hope I have challenged you. Some of you have been coaches for a team or at least for a son or daughter. So, I am sure you can relate to coaching as both a manager and athletic coach.

Here are my answers.

1.	(DA) I think most of you have answered it this way because of your experiences. As you look at the other answers, you will see why I have agreed.
2.	(DA) I find a lot of managers agreeing with this statement. We should not treat each person equally but fairly. Sometimes equally and fairly are the same. But it should depend on the many differences (diversity) of the people.
3.	(A) I doubt that many of you will disagree with this answer. The well known quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What you do thunders so loudly, I can’t hear what you say”, remains true.
4.	(DA) I am sure I will get a lot of disagreement on this point. In professional sports it is probably true, but I think both of them they are equally important in industry, business and amateur athletics. I have often asked managers the question, “If you have to decide on whether or not to keep employees who are completing their probation, which would you consider more important, their productivity or their attitude”? Most of them reply, “attitude”.
5.	(A/DA) I have to leave this answer up to you. If you have enough confidence that they won’t make a foolish mistake, then I would mark it “agree”. This is “empowerment” and is a real boost in morale of the employees. However, if you think they are not qualified or the risk is too great, I choose DA. In that case you would ask them for their suggestions and make the decision on their answer.
6.	(A) This answer depends on the interpretation of the words “can’t meet”. I am referring to a person who has been called an example of the “Peter Principle”. This is a person who is in a job above his/her capabilities and no amount of time or training will help. Peter Drucker said, “get them out of the job but TREAT THEM RIGHT!” This could be a transfer to a job he/she can do, a demotion to a previous job, termination with severance pay, or any other solution to save the face of the person. The reason the person is in the wrong job is probably a mistake of management, so don’t blame the person for the situation. If you interpreted “can’t do the job” as a temporary thing where time and/or training would qualify the person, then the appropriate answer would be DA.
7.	(DA) Again quoting, Peter Drucker, “you NEVER promote a person based on performance in the present job”. The reason is clear. The higher level job may need entirely different qualifications. This has been a real source of problems in the past where an outstanding hourly worker has been promoted to supervisor and can’t handle the new assignment. He/she used to be a “doer” and now becomes a supervisor of “doers”.
8.	(DA) This is probably subject to debate, but I consider them equally important. Just because persons become members of a team does not mean that you don’t want their best personal performance. It simply means that their best personal performance must coincide with team objectives. Michael Jordan is an example. When he was made “point guard” of the Chicago Bulls, the coach expected him to do two jobs - score points and lead the team.
9.	(A) This is a very important concept. Think about the grades of your children in school. In their last report card, they may have gotten be getting a better grade (ie. From a D to a C or a C to a B) than they did on the previous report card. But if your goal is a B or an A, you can do one of two things: Tell them that they “better get down to business” and meet your standard or “keep up the good work - you are improving and I am confident that next time you will get the B (or A) that I know you can get.” The same principle should be applied in a government or business situation where the supervisor is talking to a subordinate.
10.	(A) This is a non argumental situation in both business and athletics.

Those are the ten tips. Any disagreements?  I am sure there are, but please consider them when you coach or teach others how to coach.