Highly effective coaches are leaders. They dare to be different. And they never stop learning. What other habits separate good coaches from great coaches?
Key takeaways
- Effective coaches lead instead of managing and they dare to be different in order to drive change.
- They ensure that they are learning and developing at a faster rate than their clients.
- Great coaches coach individuals – even when they are coaching teams. They see their clients in a holistic manner, adopting an integrated multidisciplinary approach in order to guide the ‘whole’ person.
The great philosopher Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
That being the case (and apologies to Stephen Covey), what are the habits of highly effective coaches? Here, seven things great coaches do everyday that sets them apart from the rest…
Habit #1: Great coaches lead
Poor coaches manage. Great coaches lead. And the best coaches are the best because they are prepared to lead and, with it, accept the responsibilities that come with leadership. They know that their job is to guide their clients, helping them to see the vision or mission of the team, and consistently challenging them to move beyond their comfort zones.
Habit #2: Great coaches dare to be different
Great coaches do things that others are not prepared to do. They drive change. They thrive in creative challenging situations and fight hard for what and who they believe in. They take risks. They are comfortable talking about winning: it is, after all, what they were born to do.
Habit #3: Great coaches never stop learning
The best coaches do not know it all. In fact, they are the first to admit this, and they never stop asking questions. They realise that success is a moving target and to stay relevant they must be committed to lifelong learning, honest personal and professional evaluation and continuous self-improvement.
Habit #4: Great coaches coach individuals
Great coaches coach individuals – even when they are coaching teams. Every significant moment in the workplace is ‘person on person’, and every employee’s strengths and weaknesses have bearing on the entire team’s performance. Great coaches engage with individuals, inspiring them to consistently prepare with passion in order to realise their full personal potential.
Habit #5: Great coaches create
Creativity is the defining difference between good coaches and great coaches. Good coaches can follow programmes; great ones invent winning programmes and, in so doing, create new directions and new ideas that in turn change the nature of the workplace environment.
Habit #6: Great coaches plan
Effective coaches realise the truth behind the truism, ‘Failure to plan is planning to fail’. They always have a strategy and a purpose for everything they do. They understand that their client and team’s success depends upon this plan. If things don’t turn out the way they envisioned, they have another plan for how they are going to reflect on performance.
Habit #7: Great coaches see the big picture
Employees are only employees for eight hours of each day. For the other 16 hours they are human beings. Many coaches concentrate on preparing employees to perform; the great ones prepare the human being to be all they can be. Only then, can they truly perform at work – and in all other aspects of their lives.
Find out more about coaching techniques by studying a coaching course at SACAP. Coaches play a significant role in strengthening society as a whole, by helping individuals find a sense of purpose. For more information, enquire now.
