I recently asked a group that I was working with “What do you think the role of a coach is?” Here are some of the responses I received:
“Someone who teaches and prepares you for what is to come”
“A person you can go to for ideas, guidance, support and encouragement to proceed positively”
“A person to guide someone until they have reached their full potential”
“Someone who pushes you forward and cheers you on – On and Off the field”
“Someone to direct and inspire people to achieve things/dreams that they are passionate about”
“Someone who is positive, trustworthy and not above working along side of you”
“Someone to lead or guide a person to a desired goal – to provide inspiration”
All these are things that a coach may provide but the true purpose of a coach is often overlooked or misunderstood by most people. I believe that the ultimate purpose of a coach is to help individuals to be able to do these things on their own.
Consider the game of football … the coach is not going to be on the field with his players, they will have to make decisions on their own once the ball is snapped. The players do not have the time to ask the coach what to do or even think about what he might tell them to do. They have to find the answer within themselves and respond immediately to be successful.
Certainly all decisions do not need to be made in a split second but the idea is that the person being coached develops the ability to find the answers within themselves. As a coach, one should help their client to understand where they currently are and where they want to be. True success for a coach is to help that person to be able to ask themselves the right questions to get the needed answers on their own.
Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 5/12/12
