It’s an analogy heard all throughout the business world: like every great sports team, businesses need a great coach. Coaches act as that extra bit of motivation that comes into play just when a team begins to doubt itself, or when they feel they can’t do anymore. For you as a manager or business owner to push your team, they must first see you as that spark of encouragement to keep pushing, while also being able to hold team members accountable for their actions; holding the corporate reins.
Teamwork, as I have discussed before, is absolutely vital for success in business. A collaborative group of minds is what leads to achievement and progress in any type of corporate setting, though it may be seen as a crutch by some. This is where you as a business coach should come into play. Get rid of the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Working together as a team is crucial for growth of not only each individual involved, but for the business as a whole as well.
Don’t allow any employee to become complacent with his or her individual success. While achievements and milestones reached are certainly events to congratulate, one should never stop striving for more. If they haven’t already done so themselves, set goals for your team members, both individually and company-wide. As a coach and motivator, urge them to look at the possibilities that stretch far beyond what they have already accomplished. There is nothing worse than wondering what could have been.
Coaches in the working world monitor each step of the process toward success without micromanaging. Set goals, develop a plan, and assign each task to your employees depending on their skill sets, stressing the importance of teamwork. The relationships they have with one another is extremely important for collaboration, as any harbored feelings of resentment are simply a wrench in the works.
Rather than standing on the sideline and watching your team work together (as sports coaches do in the literal sense), make yourself available at all times. That is to say that a great coach is one who is willing to contribute more than what is asked of them. Act as a consultant, and even a participant when the situation calls for it. Your employees should see you as an aid, but not as someone to do their jobs for them. Facilitate conversations to make sure they are headed in the right direction, and teach specific processes that could inspire a new train of thought in your team, yet allow them to achieve these goals themselves.
Success in business is contingent upon active collaboration among team members, but such an act cannot be done without the facilitation of a team coach. Inspire your employees, motivate them, and guide them to be a truly efficient coach, and to greatly benefit your business.
