The Characteristics of a Good Coach

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Impact Learning Systems InternationalP.O. Box 14110San Luis Obispo, CA 93406Toll Free: 800.545.9003Voice: 805.781.3283Fax: 805.545.9075Email: info@impactlearning.com www.impactlearning.com

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hether you coach someone now, or hope to in the future, this article will outline thecharacteristics of a good coach and help you create an action plan for improvement.

There’s no formula for perfect coaching. It calls as much for intuition as for technique. What works with

one employee may not work with another, and what works in one situation may not work in the next.But there are several characteristics that successful coaches have in common. These coaches:

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Provide clear, complete instructions.

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Let employees know how they’re doing.

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Give credit when credit is due.

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Give constructive feedback when employees make mistakes.

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Remain accessible.

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Take time to teach what they know.

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Build and maintain mutually rewarding relationships with employees.

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Set reasonable and consistent expectations.

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Establish and model a high standard.

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Build team effort to achieve high productivity.

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Maintain a sense of humor.

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Seek a commitment to quality and performance from each individual.

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Provide support for all employees even when performance is not up to expectations.

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Remain poised and positive under stress.

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Manage their time and responsibilities well.Successful coaches also help their employees to:

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Understand and appreciate their strengths and weaknesses.

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Establish goals.

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Monitor their progress.

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Identify problems.

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Find solutions.

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Enhance their knowledge of the industry and customer base.

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Realize their full potential.

W

How Do You Stack Up?

Although you may naturally be stronger in some areas than in others, you can master each and everyone of these attributes.

Activity

Take a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. Label the

left column, “

Back to School

,”

themiddle column,

“

Ups and Downs

,” and the right column

,

“

Super Star

.” Read through the lists above and

put each characteristic into the appropriate column as follows:

Back to School Ups and Downs Super Star

Select this rating if you needconsiderable improvementin the skill.Select this rating if you haveaverage proficiency in this skill,or you know what to do, but

don’t

always do it.

Select this rating if you’re

consistently at your best withthis skill.

Action Plan

Once you’ve completed this

activity, go on to create a plan for turning these opportunities into assets.

Here’s an example:

Skill

Let employees know how

they’re doing.

Action Plan

I plan to establish a one-hour drop-by session every Friday. The purpose of this informal session is to encourage employees to drop by for a few minutes so I can briefly give

feedback on how they’re doing. I will implement this

session within the next two weeks,and review its effectiveness on the last Friday of every month. The drop-by session will not replace our more formal quarterly performance reviews, but will be in addition tothem.

Now it’s your turn. Be honest. No one

is watching.