I am not a parent… but I am fully aware that a parent’s job requirements do not require 18 years of hand to mouth feeding. Could you imagine the scene of a high school graduation if the child couldn’t feed themselves? “Open up, Bobby, here comes the airplane! Vrrooooom!”
It’s interesting that in certain areas of life, we’re perfectly aware of the purposes of coaching. We understand that parents shouldn’t tie children’s shoes into their teenage years. We know that coaches belong on the sidelines calling plays, not hiking the ball themselves. We are aware that our financial advisers do not write our rent checks for us. But there are parts of our lives where the purpose of a coach isn’t understood or appreciated.
It’s also interesting that we understand systems in some parts of our lives. We appreciate that certain bills are set up on monthly payment “subscriptions” where we don’t necessarily have to go into a location and write a check – it just comes out of our account every month. We understand an assembly line concept, where no one person is responsible for the entire process; each person does their job and the system creates a finished product. We appreciate air conditioning and electricity, although we may not comprehend the entire process that is happening. And I definitely enjoy the benefits of a vehicle and the way it drives; although I’m not aware of all the ins and outs, I know that when I hit the gas, it goes forward. That’s the benefit of a system.
I’m sure that this subject will need multiple blogs due to the importance – and the lack – of these two necessities. The purpose of a coach is to leverage someone else’s knowledge and expertise so that I can reap better results than I could with only my own experiences. We leverage systems so that our reach can extend beyond the abilities or time that we have by ourselves, so more can be accomplished than was previously able.
Let’s take an example and discuss how we could enhance our results – bringing out the best in people. Is there a way to use coaches and systems to make better use of our time and energies so that we can bring the best out of our staff and employees?
First of all, we should utilize leadership coaches to speak into our lives and the lives of the people on our team. Even if you have the knowledge to speak into the lives of your people, you probably don’t have the time. Plus most people will accept suggestions from an outside third party more than they would the “parent” or the boss (see any teenager respond to their coach or youth pastor, versus how they respond to their parent). Take advantage of consulting companies in your area who can bring a fresh perspective in to your company and utilize their knowledge in coaching your team.
The most important thing you can do for the people on your team, in my humble opinion, is to provide an opportunity to plug in to a system of personal and leadership development. To state the obvious again, you are one person with 24 hours in your day – you will run out of “you” eventually. A personal development system can be plugged into when you’re not around and can easily be used as a test to see who the hungriest people in your company are. Give your people 30 days to read “this” book and “these” audios, from the system you chose; then after the 30 days are over, ask for a report on how the new information can be implemented. It will become obvious who you should promote and keep around and who the “fakers” are.
It should also be said that you should be using coaches and systems in your own life before you ask someone else to do it. “Do as I say, not as I do” does not belong here – you need to model and message personal and professional development first, and those who are in the fight along with you will see you grow. In every organization, there will be a widening of the gap between people who are increasing their skills and abilities and those who are simply coming in for a paycheck – don’t be left in the latter category. Utilize a system and a coach in your own life and the life of your family.
“You” shouldn’t be the magic. If you are, that simply means that you will be busy, tired, and will not be fulfilling everything that you could if you had help. In what other areas would coaching and systems be helpful? Join the conversation in the comments!
Chris Craft
P.S. There are a few systems out there for personal development, but I wanted to share the one that I use – “Total Personal Development” from LIFE Leadership. This one bulk product has audios to listen to (24/7 personal development radio), audio books, a leadership platform with videos and articles to read, a library with professional development videos, a sales training system, and even a language learning program. It’s a great resource and the best cost to value ratio that I could find.
The Soapbox 