Know when to Manage and when to Coach

Have you ever wondered why the head of a baseball team is

called the manager and the head of a basketball team is called

the coach?

Leading - Coaching

The answer has to do not just with the obvious

differences between the two sports, but also with

how the players are coached and managed

during the games.

Just as baseball and basketball are two very

different sports, coaching and managing are two

very different activities.

ONE HAS TO DO WITH DIRECTING,

THE OTHER HAS TO DO WITH TEACHING

“A Coach must never forget that he is a leader and not merely a person

with authority.” John Wooden

Leading - Coaching

Managing - Coaching

MANAGING is all about telling, directing, authority, immediate needs, and a specific outcome.

COACHING involves exploring, facilitating, partnership, long-term improvement, and many possible outcomes.

Manager

During a baseball game, the manager focuses primarily on strategy and managing the flow of the game. He decides

who pitches and when. He positions the players in the field based on the tendencies of the batter. And he relays commands to coaches, who then tell players when to

swing, when to take a pitch, and how to run the bases.

Coaching

In basketball, the coach has the same authority as a baseball manager, but he gets more involved with the action on the court. He calls out plays and defensive schemes to the players, but they are then free to implement those plays (using their skills and knowledge of the game)

as they see fit. During time-outs, the coach draws up plays on the clipboard. He offers encouragement, support, and suggestions. And he instructs players on how to react to many

possible outcomes depending on what the other team does.

Managing - Coaching

Obviously, the roles and responsibilities of a baseball manager and basketball coach overlap.

But while the baseball manager focuses on authority and directing,

the basketball coach works in more of a teaching/facilitating capacity.

What does all this have to do with

business leadership? In business, we have to be both

coaches and managers.

To lead effectively, we need to know

when to wear which hat.

Managing - Coaching

Managing

Managing involves a more directive, task-oriented style that

should only be used under certain

conditions. It usually produces the best results in a crisis situation, when

someone has never done the task before,

or when they have little or no confidence in their ability to get

it done.

Good management consists in showing

average people how to do the work of superior

people.

Coaching

Coaching is all about having someone believe in you and

encourage you, about getting valuable feedback, about seeing

things from new perspectives and setting your sights on new

horizons.

Coaching works best for developmental purposes,

especially when you have a team of competent

professionals already performing at a reasonably high level. Once you define

winning for your organization, team members may need your guidance and support. But in most cases

they shouldn’t need direction.

Managing - Coaching

Knowing when to direct, delegate or develop is critical to managerial effectiveness. Determine which style is appropriate based on the

task at hand rather than the individual. Often, people will need a combination of styles

depending on the complexity of the task assigned, their experience with the task, and the

competency levels required to complete it with excellence.

DIRECTDELEGATE

DEVELOP

DirectWhen the employee has low to moderate competence with the skills

and abilities needed to complete the task. Be sure to define excellence (what, how and when), and provide specifics (templates,

examples, etc.) so the person can achieve the desired outcome.

DIRECT WHEN A PERSON:

Is new in a role

Is new to the company

Has new ways of working

Has new job responsibilities

or tasks

Is new to the client/custome

r

DelegateWhen the employee has moderate to high competence. Again,

define excellence so both sides have clarity around the goal. Then let the employee determine the approach they will take and keep

you informed as to their progress. Ask questions and provide direction and specific support when necessary.

DELEGATE WHEN A PERSON:

Some experience in the role

A track record or competence

Similar ways of working

Confidence in their abilities

A sensitive task or client

DevelopWhen the employee has high competence and high commitment to the task. Then define excellence and get out of the way! Give plenty of recognition for successful completion of the task. Then determine

the person’s next challenge.

DIRECT WHEN A PERSON:

Has extensive experience

Has demonstrated evidence of competency

Is trying new approaches

Is growing new competences

Has experienced similar clients or task sensitivities

Sometimes we have to coach and

sometimes we have to manage. But the more time

we can spend delegating and developing, the

more effective we will be.