TEACH, COACH or BOTH?

TEACH and COACH  

When in a management role, you fulfill a number of different roles in the course of your work. In this post I’d like to take a brief look at two of those roles; Teacher and Coach.

Teacher

Managers and supervisors work with employees who have a wide variety of skills and knowledge. This means you’re frequently placed in the role of teacher with employees, particularly if they’re new to your organization or team. You will, in effect, be teaching them how to do their job. At the very least you’ll need to teach your employees about the expectations that will affect their success. You also teach employees what they need to know to help them be ready for new challenges and opportunities. Being a mentor is a form of teaching; you are imparting knowledge that will help the employee prepare for a new assignment, position, or project.

Coach

The role of a coach is different from that of a teacher. As a coach you’ll be a guide, motivator, encourager, and supporter in your interactions with employees. When you coach employees you’re less focused on telling or showing and more focused on asking questions or involving them in figuring out what needs to be done and how to do it. When you coach employees you’re actively demonstrating your confidence and trust in them. If you don’t trust your employees to do their jobs, then you either have the wrong people in the jobs or you haven’t sufficiently trained them. In either case, the problem isn’t with your employees but with you as their manager.

What do you think? Are you teaching and coaching your people?

FOCUS!

Focus on what you want to have happen, not what you want to avoid.

You will gravitate toward what you are focusing on. Keep your eyes on what you desire to happen. Too many times we start looking at the negative, that thing we don’t want to happen. Then what happens? The negative thing we were not wanting to see will come to fruition. Keep your thoughts and your energy headed toward the positive, that desired outcome. Keep moving toward the goal you have set. Negative thoughts will bog your mind down and not give you the energy you need to accomplish your destiny. By keeping your mind de-cluttered you will be more able to handle adversity, mentally. Keep your vision clear and concise to be a great leader. You have enough to deal with without the added stress of negativity. 

WALK and TALK like a LEADER

Walk the walk and talk the talk!  

By watching the way a person walks and listening to their talk tells you a lot about that person’s belief in getting the job done. How a person carries themselves and talks will give you a major clue as to how they will perform. A Leader walks tall and big, no matter their physical size or ability. I have seen people in wheelchairs that still “walked tall.” It can be a presence of mind is what I mean by this. Also, the way a Leader talks sets them apart. Nothing arrogant or conceded about their behavior or words, but confident. Doesn’t mean that a relentless person has it all together all the time, but you will never know any different. Being confident is a lifestyle. It doesn’t come overnight, but it does come. Being unstoppable is something that is attainable, but you have to walk the walk while talking the talk. While at the same time, those that don’t want to put in the work are trying to bring you down. Their walk and talk is all negative. Their talk is about where you have made mistakes and failed. Never stoop to their level. 

Stay tall and talk the talk of a Leader.