How do you coach your team? Do you wait until they do something wrong and then blow a fuse? Do you continually coach through every little intricacies of a person’s job?
Ask yourself this question: “What do my employees think about my coaching?”
Bosses are in a tough position, especially if you’re like me and you enjoy being the “liked” person in the office. Being a people pleaser doesn’t mean you can’t be a great leader, it just means you have to find a way that fits you.
I’ve had bosses that wouldn’t give me any insight into what I would do wrong until they were so mad that they would spend more time screaming at me than explaining what I can do to avoid the lashing. However, I’ve had bosses that never let me know whether I’m doing anything right or wrong — it feels like I’m stumbling through limbo just hoping things are going well.
The best coaches tell you when you do something good and when you mess up, they explain what you did and how you can do it the right way the next time. Screaming never does anyone any good — unless you are a professional screamer in a screaming match.
This week, think about the people you’ve coached. Ask yourself if you were maybe too harsh on someone for something they did wrong. Did you explain to them what they did and how they can avoid the mistake?
Did you see anyone doing something right this week and give them kudos? When you see someone do something wrong, and you spent time explaining how to do it right; once you saw them do it right, the next time, did you tell them ‘good job?’ This will resonate with your employees and reinforce positive actions.
Successful coaches aren’t remembered for being fierce tyrants. They are remembered for their wins and the passion their players have for them. Think of Joe Paterno, regardless of what anyone may have ever said about Penn State or the football program — it will be hard to find a former player that regrets playing for the ‘ole ball coach. Ask yourself, “How can you be more like the ‘ole ball coach?”
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
I wonder how many managers and owners know how horribly trained they are to run health clubs? I have worked in clubs from California, Minneapolis to North Carolina, and am shocked at how poorly trained, in basic management skills, so many owners and managers think that yelling and thumping their chest, is the proper way to manage. Also, how many other people have heard, “when we did xyz, we would xyz.
Generally, the manager/owner/boss, is bragging about their own successes, but worse, is applying outdated principles of running a health club, to the 1980s and 90’s. Wake up, people, the industry has changed from social media to the demographics of the members using the club.
Last, so many leaders (i use that title, while biting my won lip), don’t care about current members and only care about signing up new clients. I know that industry publications point out how much more expensive it is to lost an existing member, than signing up a new number from scratch, but, I can assure you the owners may get this, but the managers I have dealt with, have no idea how much money they are losing the club. What’s more, they are slowing nibbling away at the business’s profits and eventually, the clubs that they manage with be bought out, by those that know what they are doing, or, will cause the club to close. No one whats to buy a club that has not established any “goodwell.”