HOW DOES SPORTS COACHING DIFFER FROM
CORPORATE COACHING?
Athletes Versus Employees
Most athletes are young, open to improvement, eager to learn and anxious to
receive what a coach can provide. For the athlete, there is a defined season
and something tangible to compete for. Feedback is automatic, immediate, and
specific; and athletes can easily change coaches and/or teams. Employees, on
the other hand, aren’t as emotionally committed. When have you seen an adult
cry or rant and rage when a goal was not achieved? For employees, feedback and
performance are hard to quantify. Work goes on; there is no end and often only
vague scorecards. Lastly, employees do not demand corporate coaching or search
critically for performance improvement. Without belaboring the point or making
value judgments, suffice it to say that the two have different values and
motivations. However, these differences do not change what constitutes
effective coaching behaviors.
The application of CMOE’s Eight Step Coaching model may differ, but the
concepts will not. All coaches for example, need to create a supportive,
trusting relationship (Step One). Further, all coaches need to create the
internal motivation or initiate a desire to pursue a more effective course of
action (Step Two).
Sports Coaching Versus Corporate Coaching
In sports, the coach can rarely outperform those coached, yet in business the
coach will probably be an accomplished player. One of the most successful
coaches in the National Basketball Association never played professional
basketball. Is it possible to conceive of a successful sales manager who never
was a salesperson? In sports, coaching is a full-time job supported in many
cases with assistant coaches; in business the coach has many diverse
responsibilities. In gymnastics the coach’s span of control is usually
on-on-one. The number of “suits” on the bench, during a college basketball
game, often equals or outnumbers the “uniforms” or actual players. Athletes
can practice before the game and take time-outs; in business the clock is
always running. Most athletic coaches see themselves as, first and foremost,
teachers. Even though the word "coach” has become a popular addition to most
managers’ job descriptions, we doubt that many would also include teacher. So
while the playing field and conditions are different, we believe that there
are some unique lessons to be learned from sports coaching and applied to
corporate coaching.
About the author:
If you would like more information on Corporate Coaching or to learn what
100,000 managers have learned around the world, contact CMOE at (801)569-3444
or visit http://www.cmoe.com/corporate-coaching.htm.
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