Coaches Do It By the Rules

As long as there has been a need for improvement there have been coaches to provide it. Two thousand years ago the Roman army had coaches to develop skills in such critical areas as fighting battles, defending a fortress, setting up an encampment and how to manage relationships with occupants of conquered territories.

These coaches were experts whose earlier successes had been noted by the army leadership and were appointed as a means of creating “best practice” among new recruits within the shortest period of time.

Coaching was done in a standardized way so that it would be consistent throughout the army, whether in Africa or Turkey. When we now say that Rome dominated much of the world for centuries it was really the result of the Roman army’s drive for performance that enabled them to do it.

Good coaches today follow a set of rules just as they did in Roman times. There are some serious “basics” that apply to all coaching, whether it’s for a football team or a business, and if these rules are followed the results of the coaching will be the best that can be achieved.

1. Set the Goals that are to be Reached

Clearly define the goals that the coaching is to accomplish. They must be realistic and achievable and demonstrate a measurable improvement in performance.

2. Communicate the Goals

Everybody involved in the process needs to know and understand the goals at the onset of the process.

3. Benchmark Starting Performance

The only way to know how successful the coaching has been is to have a thorough analysis of where it begins. This is not simply a measurement of performance; the coach also needs to know such things as how well the subject understands what it is they’re doing, how well they are doing it, and what factors might be preventing them from doing it better.

4. Create Realistic Timelines

No coaching process should be seen as open-ended. It should have a timeline for the achievement of each objective, preferably with “milestones” along the way so progress towards the goals can be measured.

5. Identify the Resources Needed

When you know where you’re starting, where you want to go and how soon you want to get there, your next task is to identify what it will take to get there. This includes such resources as physical facilities, equipment and training.

6. Coach to a Predetermined Plan

Coaching should be done to a plan that incorporates the timelines and the use of the resources that have been identified. The coaching plan is the roadmap of the entire process and is followed rather than allowed to develop as the process progresses.

7. Measure the Outcomes

The outcomes of the coaching process need to be measured against the benchmarks and against the goals. Has the process been successful and if so, how successful has it been?

8. Be Tough but Positive

Coaching isn’t a business of compromise. The goals should always be kept in sight and the subject driven towards their achievement. Reinforcement should be given for every indicator of progress to keep the process a positive one.

Always keep in mind that the coach is not to be a dictator that demands something of others they aren’t willing to give. Expectations need to be carefully matched with aptitudes so that the process will ultimately succeed. The best coaches are as good at psychology as they are at any other aspect of their job.

Coaching is a powerful tool for organizational change. It’s a lot more than just teaching someone how to do something. Coaching is about developing people and organizations so they can operate at the peak of their abilities.

Is there just one way to coach? Definitely not. There are any number of ways a coach can create success. But there are certainly these eight rules of coaching that, if followed, will give coaches the best possible chance of succeeding.

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Copyright 2005, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com.