We’re ALL Coaches! How’s it Going?
Do you ever think of yourself as a coach? As I was researching the impact a coach can have on others, I came to believe that, whether we want to admit it or not, we’re ALL coaches in nearly every area of our lives. This thought process expanded as I came to realize that there are three distinct areas of coaching that consistently occur for each of us. First, we’re constantly coaching others. Second, we’re constantly being coached by others. Third, we’re constantly coaching ourselves. There are huge benefits offered to each of us when we embrace this thought process and take action to improve both our coaching and coachability.
The dictionary lands on two primary words to define the word coach which are tutor and instructor, but those words seem so limiting when considering how the word coach really impacts our life. When we initially hear “coach,” most of us go right to the world of athletics which is probably where the term gets used most often. Following that for some, our mind would go to personal coach, business coach, personal trainer, or work mentor. Rarely, would we ever consider what I feel is some of the most important coaching that occurs in our life in the form of being parented, parenting our own children, and every instance where we find ourselves training someone, supporting someone’s efforts, or sharing knowledge that we possess in the form of helping others.
Do coaches have duties and responsibilities? Sure. My research suggested that coaches should offer guidance and support to help others achieve their goals. Included with that, coaches can be responsible for skill development, motivation and encouragement, strategy and planning, performance analysis, feedback and communication, introducing and amplifying team dynamics, and holding themselves to the highest level of ethics and professional conduct. Shouldn’t all coaches attempt to provide a model of behavior that others can imitate? Now go back to this paragraph’s beginning and re-read substituting the word “parents” for coaches. Imagine what our world could look like if all parents embraced the duties and responsibilities described above. WOW!
Back to the three distinct areas of coaching. We coach others every day whether it’s our spouse, our kids, our co-workers, or other community members. Nearly all of this is subliminal rather than intentional because we’ve never viewed carrying out our duties and responsibilities to others as coaching. Might we be more kind, caring, compassionate, encouraging, and achieve better results if we put on our coaching hat with sincere interest in helping others? Zig Ziglar claimed you can get everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want. Intentional coaching on our part leads to a better life…for everyone.
Next, every day presents opportunities for us to learn and grow when we allow ourselves to be coached by others. Because every human is uniquely different and possesses a distinct grouping of skill sets, we can benefit greatly by allowing others to share with us the knowledge and areas of life they’re more advanced in. Which begs the question: How COACHABLE are you?
When are kids were involved in youth athletics and other activities, several coaches approached my wife and I and told us they loved coaching our kids. When we’d ask why, they’d typically respond with “because they listen when I attempt to train them and do exactly what I tell them to do, which is what makes them coachable.” That’s what led me to wonder how coachable I personally was and if I was missing out on valuable life strategies and success pathways because I wasn’t perceived as coachable. I’ve realized that having sincere interest in other people’s success has created a persona in me where people view me as coachable allowing them to share valuable insight into what has helped them the most in life. That’s one of the reasons I continue to claim that everything I am, and all of my success, I owe to others.
Lastly, I’ve been preaching for years that the most important conversation a person has each day is the conversation they have with themselves. Believe it or not, we’re coaching ourselves from the moment we awaken to time we go to sleep each day. It seems like we would give the greatest effort to the one coach that determines the outcome of our day each day. It seems like we would encourage them, inspire them, and help them be the very best version of themselves. But do you? Are you confident that you’re giving yourself the very best you have to offer yourself? If you answer yes, you’re off to a great start each day traveling down a path ready to coach others and be coached by others. If you answer no, you can realize from this moment forward that you have the power to choose to change the way you coach yourself. And THAT’S a lot of power!
Final thought to send you forward with. Consider the perspective that every area of our life can be reflected through a coaching lens. Assess where you currently are with coaching others, being coached by others, and coaching yourself. See if it matches up closely to where you want to be in life. Take action to explore the incredible life that’s just waiting for you or the further advancement of the life you’re currently living. Remember, Hey…I Believe In YOU! GiddyUp!