Leadership vs Management Page 2

Leadership vs Management Page 2

Authors: Byron and , © 2016

Taking over a manager position makes one think about what one is responsible for.Thinking about being a manager or a coach can lead to many questions. Do they not both require leadership skills? These questions are on many people’s mind. What do I do as a Coach?

The best way to think about what it is like to be coach is to think of a sports team. A coach is behind the bench but is always with the team. The coach does not play in the game, but the coach helps the players identify areas to improve their game and guides their development by demonstrating or explaining the requirements.

Here is a list of the things that a sport coach does with their team:

– they provide encouragement, even when the team loses the game

– they encourage players to discuss all aspects of the game, the good and the bad

– they provide inspiration and motivation to the players by helping them see the positives

– they have a vision for the team, and are constantly sharing this vision with the players

– they constantly look for ways to help their players by identifying training needs, areas where they can help the player improve

– they are open to change, will listen to change, will listen to their players ideas, and the coach is willing to make changes in order to help the team succeed

– they communicate expectations, and work with the team to meet the expectations

– they help the team stay focused on solutions rather than problems

– they believe in their people and work to ensure their potential is developed

– they are demanding because they want the team to do better;

– they ensure the skills the players possess are honed to perfection by practice

– they will focus on the “why” something happened, not the “how” did it happen

– when on the playing field, the minute to minute decisions are made by the players, the coach does not make all the decisions

– they sit on the sidelines and observe, they do not go on the field and play the game. However, if the game is being played or conducted poorly, they will make changes for the overall good of the team

– when the team wins the game, the team is in the lime light, the coach is not the center of attention

– they create shared goals among the team

– they spend time getting to know and understanding each individual on the team

– they are committed to the team

A Business Coach
If you translate the role of a “sports coach” to a “business coach”, you find similar attributes that apply in a business environment.

– provides encouragement

– encourages open discussion

– provides inspiration and motivation

– provides direction to the team and shares the vision of the corporation

– identifies training needs and areas requiring improvement

– is open to change, willing to try new ideas

– communicates expectations

– focuses on solutions not problems

believes in people, sees the potential

– has high expectations, encourages and assists people to achieve their potential

– removes barriers and roadblocks so the team can meet their goals

– ensures skills learned are put into practice

– focuses on the “why”, not the “how”

– leaves the day to day decisions to the team

– rewards the team for accomplishments, gives the team credit

– spends time with the team to identify peoples’ strengths and weaknesses, understands cultural differences, and the issues that face each individual

A Coach, in a business environment, is also a role model for staff. The coach sets an example for others to follow. The behavior of the coach, especially when all is not going well, is especially important. The coach cannot say one thing and do another. A coach is consistent in the application of the coaching model just not when things are going to plan.

What Are the Benefits to Me ?
If you are taking over a manager’s position, and you look at the different styles of leading people, you may find yourself asking the question of what are the benefits to me.

One common thought of managers is that they will lose their power if they take on a coaching role. Although the answer to their concern is counterintuitive, what they don’t realize is that they will end up with more power by being a coach rather than a manager.

Rewards
The reward in seeing people develop to their full potential far outweighs the role of telling people what to do. Once you have provided people with the training needed to develop the skills they require to feel confident to complete their jobs, they are able to do the work effectively. The coach is then able to focus more on leadership of the long term strategic goals that help to ensure the corporation continues to move forward.

Sometimes, old style managers become so occupied with the day-to-day decisions and putting out fires, they lose sight of the long term opportunities, and challenges that face the corporation. The key to remember is that you will have no power to exercise at all if your company is no longer around!

“I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others.”
Thomas Jefferson

Career Moves
If you have a strong team working with you (notice that I didn’t say working for you), then your chances of being able to continue with your career are greater. Some people are threatened by assuming that if the team is strong there will be no place for them.

However, just the opposite is true. Employers are looking for leaders that can build strong teams. The stronger each and every team is within the company, the stronger is the entire company. There is no better example of your worth to a company than the success of your team.

By coaching your team, you are preparing them for their next career step. That next career step may be to take over your position so you are available for promotion. If you ensure that your team can’t operate efficiently without you, you may have sealed your own non-promotional fate. As well, if you do not develop your team to function without you, you are, in essence, saying that you still operate as an old style manager. If no one can fill your shoes, how can you ever expect to move up within your organization?

“When the blind man carries the lame man, both go forward.”
Swedish Proverb

Strategic Vision
Today, employers are looking to their leaders to think more strategically. No longer is it wise or acceptable to focus on the day-to-day issues. The team is accountable for the day-to-day decisions, the daily accomplishment of their tasks and duties. No longer can successful organizations afford to have layers and layers of managers. We see flattening of structures in all progressive corporations today.

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
Theodore Roosevelt

Time
With all the changes affecting today’s workplace, the one thing that no one seems to have enough of is “time”. By coaching your team, their skills will become stronger. The daily decisions can be made by them rather than you using your time to make all the decisions.

Sharing information will allow you to delegate assignments that only you had control of in the past. This information will allow the team to make decisions and will also educate them to help identify areas where they can implement change that will improve the performance of the team. By involving all levels in the companies’ directions and goals, and by sharing the information, you are allowing people to have a better understanding of the whole process rather than keeping people narrowly focused on their job.

Overall Work Improvement
You will find by having people understand the bigger picture; they will have individual or team suggestions to improve areas that they formerly couldn’t. People need to understand how their role fits within the entire organization. And, people need to understand that their roles are vitally important to the overall success of the company. If they have no sense of ownership and don’t appreciate the impact they have, they will not be motivated to find ways they could improve the business.

And, what about the time needed for you and your personal life? Balance in your life between work and your personal life is very important. Without balance you eventually burnout. And personal burnout means that your performance at work is negatively affected. And, poor performance at work means that you could lose your job.

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