Coaching your Business-Builders to Greatness

This is what I believe is the MOST lacking leadership quality on our team... An understanding of the difference between a cheerleader, a mentor, and a coach. Did you know that when somebody comes to you and joins your team, entrusts their dreams to your leadership, and ASKS you to help them succeed in this business, they are asking you to be more than their cheerleader and more than their mentor? They are asking you to be their COACH!!!! And a coach's role is very different from cheerleader or mentor:
-A coach looks for every opportunity to give INTENTIONAL feedback. (Not just, "Good job!"... "These are great goals!"... or "I believe you can do it!".... but, "How will you reach these goals?"... "What can you tweak next week to meet the goal you didn't hit?"... "What did/didn't work well this week?")
-A coach is also not a "trainer." A trainer TELLS... a coach ASKS. A coach is teaching their teammate how to become a problem-solver, not solving their problems for them.
-A coach is a business advisor, not a personal advisor. (Most of us are also friends with those we are coaching, but it is important to set aside special time and space to help them with their business and catch up on personal issues later.)
-A coach is consistent in their feedback and support. A coach is not so afraid of hurt feelings that he/she is unwilling to offer needed accountability and feedback to his/her teammate. A coach loves their teammate enough to give them the feedback they NEED, even if it isn't what they want.
-A coach does not expect their teammate to succeed on their own, nor does he/she expect her teammate to succeed on pure talent. A coach provides inspiration, calls for focus, gives ideas, and understands that practice and diligence are the gateways to excellence.
-A coach recognizes a player's strengths and helps them maximize those strengths.
-A coach takes an active role to help a player identify an ACTION PLAN and uncover/overcome their personal obstacles. This is the day-to-day work that gets strung together to prepare for the next race, the next game, the next competiton, the next goal. A coach desn't just show up for the victory dance... they're actively involved in the daily work that leads to it.
-A coach is not afraid to give meaningful feedback, but does it with permission and without blame or judgment... Example: "If I could see something that was holding you back in your business, would I have your permission to tell you what it was?"... "Help me understand...", "Tell me more about...", "What would you say went wrong there?"
-A coach does not let a conversation get bogged down by excuses, complaining, or a "give up" attitude. A coach listens and empathizes, acknowleges the ostacles, but can recognize when to re-direct the conversation toward moving forward to focus on options for what should happen next.
-Last but not least, a coach coaches teammates who want to work at a goal. If a teammate says they want your coaching, but is consistently unwilling to put any work in, they don't actually want your coaching. Love them, but LEAD those who prove to you that they value your time and energy.