“Mind the Gap”

Continued Personal Development

Stevie Baxter

30th November 2014

The ‘what’ & ‘why’ of PD

What:

A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning performance and/or achievement and to plan for personal, educational and career development

The ‘what’ & ‘why’ of PD

Why:

• Become more effective, independent & confident self directed learner

• Understand how we learn and how we can adapt this to a wider context (coaching)

• Improve skills and study for career management

• Articulate personal goals and evaluate process towards achievement

• Encourages a positive attitude towards learning for a coaching career and life

SWOT Analysis – On your pad!

Strengths

Opportunities Threats

Weaknesses

Modern Day Coach Competencies

• Athlete Management & Development

• In Game Management

• Leadership

• Periodisation Campaign Planning

• Technical Competence

• Personal Development & Ambition

Sharing my PD & Coaching Ambitions

1. To get my name in the back of the book!

2. To coach at a UEFA Championship or FIFA Youth World Cup

3. To be educated and be suitably qualified to be enroled onto a UEFA PRO Licence Course by the age of 40.

PD & Ambition – On your pad!

1. Coaching Ambition 2. Self Development 3. Self Knowledge

4. Personal Learning 5. Work/Life Balance 6. Learning on the fly

The differences between a skilled coach and an unskilled coach will determine how successful the coach can become –

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”

Coaching Ambition Skilled Coach

• Is clear on the coaching pathway that he/she wants to follow

• Knows what he/she wants from their coaching career & actively works on it

• Makes things happen for themselves and are driven

Unskilled Coach

• Unsure what he/she wants out of his/her coaching career

• Hesitant to speak up on coaching wants and needs

• Stuck in his/her comfort zone, wont take risks, may only accept easy coaching roles

WHAT ARE YOUR COACHING AMBITIONS ?

Self Development Skilled Coach

• Is personally committed to and actively works to continually improve & will have a personal development plan

• Has a process to continually reflect on coaching performance

• Works on compensating for weaknesses and limits

Unskilled Coach

• Doesn’t take on board constructive feedback

• May not know what to work on or how to improve

• May believe in development, but is always too busy!!!

DO YOU HAVE A PD PLAN?

Self Knowledge Skilled Coach

• Knows personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and limits

• Seeks feedback and is open to constructive criticism

• Gains insights from mistakes and is not defensive

Unskilled Coach

• Is not self aware OR

• May know some short comings but will not share with others

• Doesn’t get much from personal insight exercises or performance discussions

DO YOU KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES? HOW WILL YOU TURN THEM INTO STRENGTHS?

Personal Learning Skilled Coach

• Identifies the need to change leadership behaviour quickly

• Seeks feedback on performance from a mentor or critical friend – they are comfortable being uncomfortable

• Is sensitive to changing personal demands/requirements & changes accordingly for overall benefit

Unskilled Coach

• Doesn’t change or adapt surroundings – happy being comfortable

• Being true to ones self is all that matters

• May see adjusting to others as a sign of weakness

DO YOU SEEK FEEDBACK, IF SO WHO FROM?

Learning on the fly! Skilled Coach

• Learns quickly when facing new problems

• Open to change

• Enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks

Unskilled Coach

• Not versatile

• Doesn’t look under rocks, just sticks to the obvious

• Gives up too soon and accepts a marginal solution

DO YOU ENJOY BEING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO FLY

Work/Life Balance Skilled Coach

• Maintains a conscious balance between coaching and life so that one doesn’t dominate the other

• Knows how to attend to both

• Gets what he/she wants from both

Unskilled Coach

• Lacks balance between work and personal life

• Overdoes one to the harm/expense of the other

• May be a workaholic (coachaholic!)

DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT BALANCE?

The next steps

1. If you have a PD plan – execute it, review it

2. If you don’t have a PD plan – create one, speak with your club FDO and ask for some help, make the step to becoming a highly skilled coach

THANK YOU