Managers Organize. Coaches Win.

To be a better leader or manager, I think sometimes we need to act more like a coach than a manager. 

Imagine all the sports coaches out there staying up all night thinking of what they should precisely say to motivate and inspire their team to focus, to improve performance, to get better, to practice more, to compete and beat the team that they're facing this week. It's this sense of urgency that causes breakthroughs in communications, leadership, coaching, and improved performance.   

In the sports world, every day matters. As our competition is right in our face.  So, we practice everyday, we work on our craft, and we bring that improved performance to a team strategy.  That’s the coach's job to get done.  And if not done well, more often than not it’s the coaches that are replaced. 

However, in the business world there seems to be a lack of urgency sometimes even though the business pressures are mounting.   While surveying the hundreds of managers we have coached over the last six months, they admit putting off relationship-building, coaching, developing people, process improvement, planning, organizing, and delegating. Even though everyone knows that putting these critical but not urgent activities off bites them in the end. It seems he urgent fires or the "I'll just do it myself" wins the day.

So what's missing? Perhaps imagining ourselves as a coach of a sports team. 

Imagine this. You get your business team on the field with the other businesses teams that you compete against. We have business games. That would change everything wouldn't it?  I think we would be up all night figuring out what to do, and say to motivate and coach performance. Lol 

This scenario actually happens in business everyday, but it's invisible to us as we don't see our competition directly on the battlefield. 

If this sounds like a lot of extra pressure and work, it's because it is. But, we're not getting away without it.  Creating this urgency and stepping up to take command in this regard is critical nowadays in business and organizations. 

We are facing the AI tsunami and the increased rigors of motivating, building and keeping talented people for our teams long enough to scale and succeed. 

The good news is we are seeing those who are courageous enough to reinvent their leadership and coaching strategies are creating great teams, cultures, and their businesses and are taking advantage of the opportunities of this time. 

If your mindset shifted to being more like being a coach, what do you suppose you would do differently? How would you show up differently? What would you need to get better at? Your team? Etcetera. If reinvention happened, would that open up for you, your team and the organization?  Love to hear from you. 

So, Coach!  Let's get on the field with our teams and compete.  I’m in! 

Committed to your Success!

Coach Kevin

coachkev@dalecarnegie.ca