SOURCE: HR Focus. v72n6. Jun 1995. p. 3, 1 pages.
Make coaching your
management metaphor
Bryan W. Armentrout
I recently attended a Little League football practice and witnessed a truly remarkable event. Without using any financial incentive, the coach enticed the group to enthusiastically brave the bitter cold to run wind sprints, develop new skills and push themselves beyond their normal limits.
Does your staff or work group take on new tasks and reach beyond their grasp as enthusiastically? If not, some long-held management models--such as drill sergeant, policeman and referee--may need to be replaced. A Coaching may be the superior management metaphor.
A COACH WILL CHALLENGE YOU
Can you imagine coaches not challenging their teams to put in top performance? Coaches have the knowledge and experience to see potential that others don't see. They often set standards higher than others may have thought possible. HR managers and supervisors likewise must challenge their teams to excellence. A challenge often can jump-start a group into action and demonstrate the manager's confidence in his or her group's abilities.
A COACH WILL NOT LET YOU OFF THE HOOK
Coaches' challenges are not mere rhetoric. Coaches follow through and expect hard work and discipline. They do not let players off the hook--they expect results. Managers and supervisors must strive to instill a sense of accountability within their groups. They must praise employees whose performances meet the challenges and discuss improvement plans with poor performers.
A COACH REALLY CARES
Although committed to excellence, successful coaches must truly care about their teams' members. My own high school coach showed great concern toward his team members. He cared about our grades, treated us with respect, and even gave us rides to practice when necessary. Like so many successful coaches, he cared about more than just a win on Friday night. Managers must embody both a commitment to excellence and a sincere concern for individuals in the a group.
A COACH HELPS YOU TO BE YOUR BEST
Coaches cannot succeed while their teams fail, and vice versa. Successful coaches are committed to helping each team member to be the best he or she can be. Managers and supervisors likewise must strive to develop each individual in the group to be his or her best. This goal can be accomplished by sharing knowledge, delegating responsibilities or assigning tasks which foster growth. Managers who take the time and initiative to build the individuals of their group rarely are disappointed.
COACHES AREN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE THEY COACH
Even a casual observer of professional sports quickly realizes that the players are far better at actually playing the sport than the coach. The coach has a different focus and a unique role. Managers and supervisors should not feel that they always must be superior to the individuals in the group. Instead, managers must develop areas of expertise within the group and use these strong points as tools to achieve objectives. Managers intent on being better than the individuals in the group often neglect developing their unique skills as managers. Even worse, managers avowing this belief often inadvertently hold their people back. Managers, like athletes, must focus on their jobs and resist the compulsion to be better at everyone else's job.
A COACH IS A CATALYST
A winning coach makes sure the right ingredients come together at just the right time in just the right way to unleash the potential of the group. While coaches develop the skills and abilities of each individual in the group, they also make sure the individuals work together. Managers must act as catalysts in their work groups by organizing them so that each individual functions as close to his or her maximum capability as possible.
By bringing the right resources together, they can minimize bottlenecks and keep their groups moving forward.
BRYAN W. ARMENTROUT, R.Ph., MBA, is manager, product quality-OTC, at Wyeth- Ayerst Richmond, Va.
