The importance of good coaching.

By Roger G. Mar, US Olympian from the 1992 Barcelona Games and 1996 Atlanta Games
 and SVP, General Manager, Lee Hecht Harrison
Behind every elite athlete is a coach. You don’t often see them and they don’t often receive a lot of recognition, but they’re always there. When I was competing, the best coaches I encountered not only provided technical expertise, but also used coaching methodologies similar to those I’ve learned at Lee Hecht Harrison to help us grow. 

Telling isn’t coaching. Questioning is.
One technique I learned was to ask an individual what they think will work, instead of telling them what will work. Another method is to question athletes’ thoughts and assumptions in order to engage and challenge them, similar to what a strong business leader does with his or her team. Coaches would use these techniques to enable athletes to solve problems, think quickly on their feet, formulate sound strategies and cope with adversity.

One coach that was especially effective in this area was Ed Etzel. Ed was an Olympic gold medalist in shooting at the 1984 Games and became the head rifle coach at West Virginia University. His former shooters would often tell me he didn’t coach them as much as he would question them. Then, after an exhausting discussion, they would agree upon solutions the athletes had come up with during that conversation. This frustrated some, but many of them went on to be highly successful both as athletes, as well as coaches.

Good Olympic coaching practices make good business coaching practices.
Once I joined Lee Hecht Harrison and experienced their philosophy around leadership, I saw how LHH’s approach aligned well with the caliber of Olympic coaches I know.
Participating in LHH’s “Leaders at all Levels” and “Coaching Practices for Leaders” programs, as well as absorbing the company culture, I’ve learned that we can all use coaching practices to lead others.

What I have learned is effective managers can use basic coaching techniques to develop their team members to solve problems, think quickly, formulate sound strategies and cope with adversity – very similar to how effective Olympic coaches work with their athletes.

As a leader now, I use these techniques every day to try to bring out the best in those around me.

By asking a few questions, I can help someone on my team come to a conclusion that makes sense and solves a problem. Reframing the situation often helps the team understand a point someone is trying to make and develop a better solution to a problem.

Whatever the situation, I find it far more effective to use coaching practices to lead than to constantly direct people and tell them what to do. Using coaching practices allows me to empower people to make effective decisions and delegate responsibility in order to concentrate on the needs of my employees, customers and clients.

These same coaching practices can help you build the next generation of leaders in your organization. This was Ed Etzel’s legacy, and has been recognized and adapted by other industry professionals.

To learn more about the importance of good coaching, contact LHH today at 1.800.611.4LHH
or visit LHH.com. 

 

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