Assuming the Responsibilities that come with Being a Coach
Who can forget Peter Parker's (Spiderman's grandfather0065r) famous line? "With great power comes great responsibility," he said.
Society expects Spiderman – a comic book, TV, and film superhero with extraordinary abilities – to save his town and the world from the forces of Evil. And he never disappointed us. Despite the temptations of such powers, he only uses his abilities for the benefit of those around him.
Being a coach has some similarities. They lack superhuman abilities such as x-ray vision or the ability to fly through the air using magical "sticky ropes." Great coaches, on the other hand, can wield real power through their ability to assist others – and with it, the responsibility – to guide others to success. This is ACTUAL power that can be used to assist real people in THIS world. When done correctly, coaches can help others turn their lives around. If done incorrectly, a coach may lead a client astray.
So, with the ability to coach your clients toward the realization of their personal and/or business vision, comes responsibility. Great coaches accept all of them as part of their professional responsibilities. This can include everything from ensuring your client is heading in the right direction to getting them back on track when they aren't, as well as developing and tracking their use of exercises to help them along the way.
You can take a few steps to become a more responsible coach. Equally important, you can teach your clients these same skills to help them live more responsible, integrity-filled lives.
How to Bring Out the More Responsible "You" in Yourself and Your Client
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Develop self-awareness
To be able to view your behavior objectively, learn and understand your own strengths and weaknesses. Recognize your flaws, solicit feedback, and make changes as needed. The more self-aware you become of all your aspects, the better you will know what types of clients you can best coach and, equally important, those who should be referred to others.
Dr. Gerard Bell, a business consultant and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, counsels us on how to broaden our self-awareness. "Study yourself carefully and practice self-assessment techniques to learn how you behave and the effects you have on others," he advised. Asked others for their opinions, feedback, and suggestions on how to improve as a coach."
The lesson is straightforward: the more we grow, the more we can offer and help others.
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Separate responsibility from worry.
We often think to ourselves, "Another task, another problem," when we hear the word "responsibility." However, responsibility does not imply being concerned about the tasks assigned to us. Consider the following example:
The Head of Operations walked out of the plant he managed one night at the end of the second shift and passed a porter. "Mr. Smith, I sure wish I had your pay," a porter he passed said. But I don't want the stress that comes with it."
Mr. Smith responded, "When I'm here, I do my best." But I let go of the worry when I leave so that I can be completely present with my family when I return."
You, too, can learn to give your all to difficult work but then "leave it at the door" when it's time to relax. Worrying accomplishes nothing but eats away at us and actually makes us less effective! Don't let worry cloud your judgment or impair your ability to act decisively. This is something you can learn as you get older.
The responsibility of coaching should not frighten you. Coaching is all about being able to assist others. Accept the obligations that come with it.
Worrying about whether or not your clients achieve their objectives accomplishes nothing. Concentrate on encouraging and supporting them. Be a partner in their development. When necessary, brainstorm with them. However, it is ultimately your client's responsibility to accept responsibility for achieving their objectives. You simply assist them in seeing and attaining this state.
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Take Reasonable Risks and Learn from Mistakes
When the outcome and success of their clients are uncertain, effective coaches have the courage to ask them to take risks. A willingness to take risks and fail is a key characteristic of all successful people.
As a coach, you can assist your clients in dealing with risk and potential failure. Assist them in developing the ability to analyze their situation and options. Work with them to list the benefits and drawbacks of each option, then assign a risk factor rating of 1 to 5. Then, have them calculate the likelihood of each occurrence. This will assist them in quantifying and managing the risk-taking process.
Also, guide them to a better failure paradigm. What is failure if not strong evidence that our current course of action is incorrect? Use this information to correct your course. Failure occurs only when we give up. Failure is not an option if you do not give up.
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Own and admit our mistakes
Our mistakes teach us the most and help us grow the most. Everyone does it; it's a part of life. Assist your client in comprehending this, and they will be able to draw the necessary conclusions and take corrective action. When we play the "blame game," we fail to take the first step (ownership) in this process.
Owning our mistakes and failures not only helps us to be more truthful and powerful in our own lives. Owning and accepting responsibility for them allows others to see our integrity and virtue, which increases our respect.
Learning the art of giving effective feedback
58% of businesses think that performance management processes are not an effective use of their time (Deloitte)
Characteristics of Effective Feedback
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Specific
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
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Timely
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
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Meaningful
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
Maximizing Performance Reviews
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Set goals
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
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Look to the future.
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
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Focus on the action.
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
Different Feedback Methods
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The 3x3 Method
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
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Short but effective
Presentations are communication tools that can be used as demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and more. It is mostly presented before an audience. It serves a variety of purposes, making presentations powerful tools for teaching.
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” – Frank A. Clark
