Leader Manager Coach




Being a Coach you need to have a lot of different skills, we could start to name them all but I just want to focus on one area, Management, I believe that all coaches manage athletes, groups, programs, career, development, performance, just to name a few areas.
Apart from my coaching career, a large part of my background is in people management. It became very obvious very early in my management career that people management and Coaching had a positive crossover.
Managing a production team in a manufacturing plant:
Plan: A production plan so you understand the requirement from the customer, this enables you to be specific and deliver what is required and understand priority products.
Quality: A knowledge of the product requirement to achieve World class/Gold standard, consistently checking to ensure that the quality fits the standard required.
Cost: Ensure that standards are adhered to and waste to kept to a minimum, consistent checking of waste streams, analysis to determine if waste streams can be reduced or removed.
Delivery: Consistent checking of production streams to ensure that plans for the customer are being achieved. This will also show early signs of under or over production. If there is a variance in the plan then decisions can be made to alter the plan to achieve requirement. If plan is achieved then an early change to the next plan can be made. If there is a negative variance analysis can be done to highlight issues early in the production process. Early customer notification of variance, increase in capacity if available or capable. Analysis of plan to deliver priority products.
People/Moral: Have I got the right people in place with the right skills to drive the plan to achieve the customer requirements. Does the team understand the plan. Does each member of the team understand their part in the performance and production process. Is the team motivated to achieve the plan. What support do the team require. Is the team empowered and does the culture promote leadership and expertise from within the group.
Coaching a training group at the track:
Plan: A training plan so you understand the requirement required to develop an athlete (your customer) this enables you to be specific and deliver what is required and understand priority targets.
Quality: A knowledge of the discipline and technical model to achieve the required world class standard, consistently checking to ensure that the quality fits the standard required.
Cost/Time: Ensure that standard technical models are adhered to and poor execution is kept to a minimum, consistently checking poor execution, analysis to determine if poor execution can be reduced or removed.
Delivery: Consistent checking of good technical execution to ensure that the development of the athletes (customers) are being achieved. This will also show early signs of under or over execution of the required technical model. If there is a variance in the plan then decisions can be made to alter the plan to achieve the requirement. Potential for early progression to next phase. If there is a negative variance analysis can be done to highlight issues early in the training plan. Early athlete (customer) notification of variance, increase in capacity if available or capable. Analysis of plan to deliver priority targets.
People/Moral: Have I got the right people in place with the right skills to drive the plan to achieve the athlete (customer) requirements/performance. Does each member of the team understand their part in the athlete performance process. Is the team motivated to achieve the plan. What support do the team require. Is the team empowered and does the culture promote leadership from within the group.
So hopefully you can see that what we do to facilitate an athlete or a group of athletes actually is management of the performance process.
It is impossible for one manager to be an expert in every task in the production process of a product.
It is possible for one manager to be and expert in one task and manage resources required to ensure successful adherence to the production process, and for that manager to have an understanding of all other areas.
It is impossible for one coach to be an expert in every skill needed to deliver an athlete to elite podium level.
It is possible for one coach to be an expert in some of the skills, and to organise resources required to ensure successful development of the performance plan, and for that coach to have an. understanding of the other skills needed to deliver an athlete to elite podium level.
Now you know your not an expert in every skill!, you have to decide where are you going to get the skills to help complete the skills gap so the athlete (your customer) plan is delivered successfully.
It’s not just writing a training plan, now you have to understand your own skills gaps. Your dominant skill should be as a coach technical or people but still a coach. Let’s make a list:
Coach (that’s you)
Coach assistant
Strength and conditioning coach
Physio
Nutritionist
Soft tissue therapist
Sports Physc
Agent
Mentor
Whether you like it or not, “YOU” are the link to all of these skills when the athlete requires them. You organise these resources and keep up to-date with this group to ensure that you have the best current plan for your athlete (your customer). When assessing best performance you will ensure that the athletes welfare is healthy, well nurtured/nourished.
Let’s go back to the comparison of manager/coach. What does the dictionary say:
Leader.
the person who leads or commands a group, organisation, or country.”the leader of a protest group”
2 synonyms:
3 chief, head, principal, boss; More
Manager
noun 1 a person responsible for controlling or administering an organisation or group of staff.”the manager of a bar”
2 synonyms:executive, head of department, line manager, supervisor, principal, administrator, head, boss, director, managing director, employer, superintendent, foreman, forewoman, overseer;
2. a person regarded in terms of their skill in managing resources,
Coach
teach (a subject or sport) as a coach.”he teaches history and coaches athletics”
synonyms:instruct, teach, tutor, school, educate, upskill, guide, drill, prime, cram, put someone through their paces; train
I believe that we are all three, Leader, Manager, Coach.
As a Leader you are responsible for the vision, culture and the direction of the group. This vision, culture and direction must be based on an athlete centred approach which allows individuals to develop at each athletes own pace. You will also build and develop future leaders from within your group.
As a Manager you organise resources and facilitate a variety of other skilled staff to have access to your athlete to maximise their performance. You will ensure that the plan is delivered and consistent marker points are in place so you can monitor athlete development.
As a Coach you deliver training as part of the overall plan, this will allow the athlete to achieve their maximum potential, you will have agreed and understood markers. This will be markers agreed with the athlete. This will assist in the planning to deliver a performance on a specific date.
