Coaching for Performance

I have been a competitive athlete for more than 2/3 of my life. I have been a business leader over 1/2 of my life. I have 3 children who are active in team and individual sports. As I have worked with many types of coaches over the years, the topic of coaching for performance brings many things to mind:

• My high school swimming coach standing on the pool deck shouting “go-go-go” in a cadence only an Ivy League coxswain could rival
• My husband playing 3rd base coach for my daughter’s softball team, encouraging base runners to either stop at 3rd or make a break for home
• My younger daughter’s Tae Kwon Do instructor providing constant reinforcing feedback on the height and force of her front kicks
• My former executive coach supporting me in achieving signficant business results over a 5 year period in 3 different business units

The common denominator in each of these scenarios is the coach’s support and encouragement enabled success in someone else. The coach didn’t win the 50 meter freestyle or the softball tournament; the athletes did.  My coach didn’t achieve strong business results; I did. 

Coaching  takes what is already there and maximizes it. Coaching helps leaders navigate their existing skills, strengths, and challenges to achieve new results. Coaching isn’t therapy, although it may deal with similar issues in that coaching is designed to change behaviors that stand in the way of our effectiveness. 

For example – my son’s baseball coach worked with him early in the season to improve his swing – he had a tendency to meet the ball and stop there rather than swinging through. By playing “soft toss” (using a slower, underhanded pitch), the coach was able to guide my son through the entire range of motion needed to drive the ball forward. Similarly, executive coaches work with clients to identify areas where their current behavior is limiting their effectiveness – helping them “swing through” in practice scenarios and build the reflexes needed for more instinctive responses in the future. 

If you think you are capable of more than you are demonstrating today, consider investing in a good coach. He or she may be just what you need to win the race, trump the account, or complete the project that will set the stage for future business results!