The ongoing Olympic Games encourage to get inspiration from sports coaches who can bring athletes to peak performance. Two years ago, for example, the Canadian Olympic Committee poublished a study of the relationship between coaches and athletes which suggests that coaches must meet the following five assumptions in order to nurture champions.
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Assist the athlete to develop his/her self-awareness.
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Build a strong professional relationship with the athlete.
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Create an optimal training environment.
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Provide financial and other support systems.
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Manage the Olympic environment.
The Harvard Business Review website got inspired by these recommendations and transformed them into advice for the corporate environment. So, how can a manager in the role of a coach help his/her subordinates to superior performance?
1. Build your coachees' development plans according to their talents and interests
Avoid the tendency to create development goals only based on the needs of your organization. Be creative and look for ways to meet these needs and develop employees in what they do best and what interests them most. Start with improving their strengths, not correcting their weaknesses.
2. Build a relationship based on trust and respect
Show that you are interested in listening and you are open to new ideas. Build an environment of honest two-way communication. If you don't know how to deal with with something, don't pretend anything and find help from someone who will know.
3. Audit the work world of your coachee
Is he/she connected to the key players who can help him/her? Does he/she know his/her motivators and how to influence them? What changes in the content or other aspects of his/her work may can involve his/her development goals into his/her daily work life?
4. Remove obstacles to the success of your coachee
What keeps him/her from achiing the development goals you have set together? Is it time, money or something else? Providing support is your job.
5. Show your organization from a perspective your coachee doesn't know
Your knowledge of the key players, the history of your organization and its policies is very important for your coachee. Teach him/her to look at your organization differently than he/she has looked so far and see new possibilities and strategies.
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