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A coach
is someone
who tells you
what you don't want to hear,
who has you see
what you don't want to see,
so you can be
who you have always known
you could be."
- Tom Landry

You cannot teach a man anything;
you can only help him find it
within himself.
- Galileo

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Many organizations realize that with today's educated workforce it no longer makes sense to have managers or supervisors "watch their employees work." With much of today's work environment being global, virtual, distributed, fast-paced and "always-on", it is almost impossible to execute a traditional manager/supervisor role. Is it really necessary?

What are some things to know about moving from manager to coach? Let's hear what Robert Knowlton has to say about this transition.

Moving From Manager To Coach
By Robert Knowlton

These days it seems the "coaching" word is everywhere. Business owners coach staff, as do managers and supervisors. Parents coach kids for life skills. We're even coaching ourselves. Unfortunately, just because we change the name from "managing" to "coaching" doesn't mean we've developed the new skills required to "coach" successfully. Here are some of the basic skills/strategies/competencies which are part of the process of coaching. Good coaching skills can make the difference between getting performance and getting excellence out of yourself and your associates.

Knowing your outcomes
It is essential as a Coach to know the outcomes you expect. You then need to be able to clearly communicate the outcomes to the person being coached. Identifying your expectations of the end result gives a clear goal. Outcomes can range from setting major career objectives to where and how the incoming mail gets sorted. For successful arrival at your destination, you need to know where you are going.

Assess resources
You then need to asses what resources are necessary to get there. We all need training and that's why you are coaching someone -- to define clearly the skills and strategies necessary to get the desired result. Maybe someone needs to learn to read a map, master a specific computer program, think in the big picture, or develop a smooth phone manner.

Implement your plan
Once you know the skill or skills to be developed, implement a plan. Are the resources available? How long will it take to learn? What are the specific steps necessary and by when are you expected to reach the goal?

Example
Joan, a lawyer and assistant general counsel for a large company, was frustrated with one of her assistants. She felt the assistant was not following through and keeping Joan current on a project's status. Was it complete, was it progressing, or was it stalled? Joan thought she was a good communicator but realized she was not getting what she wanted. After discussing the problem with her coach, Joan realized she may not have been clear with her assistant. They sat down together and this time Joan knew the precise result she was looking for. She wanted weekly written updates. Joan coached her assistant to be able to see the "big picture" and how reporting fit in. Then together they came up with a plan for the assistant to implement and scheduled follow up reviews.

Put it in writing
After you have set targets, assessed the skill requirements and set out a plan, it's helpful to put your agreements in writing. Depending on the size and breadth of the project, your agreement could have many check points or opportunities for feedback and assessment. Coach for win/win and everyone will be more productive.

Robert Knowlton, founder of SuccessOptions, is a Business and Executive Coach.
"I coach individuals to help them achieve outcomes aligned with their life purpose."
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