The power of having a coach
“It is not how good you are now, but how good you are going to be that really matters,” says surgeon and writer, Dr. Atul Gawande. In his inspiring Ted Talk, Want to get great at something. Get a coach. Gawande poses the question, “How do professionals get better at what they do. How do they get great?” Even the best athletes, experts in their profession, and surgeons need a coach he points out. His talk takes you through various settings and conveys powerful examples of how awareness of your own capabilities and actions is the important first step to making the smallest tweaks that can lead to better performance.
Coaching has been an area of interest for me over the last three years. Somewhere along the way in my career journey, I had felt that I had stopped improving and was looking for my next big project hoping that would provide growth. Leading up to this, I had relished complexity and a fast pace work environment that offered a steep learning curve. Somehow the pace slowed down. I could not help but feel that I was no longer learning. Have you ever faced a similar situation?
I took the chance to seek the help of trusted colleagues and friends around me. Putting myself under the microscope so to speak, I asked for their feedback on how I managed situations and perspectives on the dynamics of our work environment. It was a conscious check-in to see how my actions were viewed by others, and a “soundcheck” of my judgement of situations. Their objectivity and suggestions – “maybe you might try this next time” or “you were right to raise this” – helped me to listen more as a leader and appreciate the diversity of thinking around me.
Being coached by others provides immeasurable value. Yet, stepping up to be a coach myself was the unexpected enrichment to my experience. At work, I committed to offering my time to coach others encouraging colleagues to experiment, do things a little differently, or do more of what they are doing brilliantly to improve the result. I also decided to be a coach in a totally different environment – as a track and field coach to kids. Being the eyes to the young athletes and explaining how small adjustments to their starting position, running posture, long-jump technique, made a difference to their individual and team performance. It was so rewarding to see the kids’ eyes light up when realizing they can do it with focus and consistency of practice. I became a better coach in the end and continue to work on this.
Through coaching, I discovered three lessons:
Growth is not just about learning a new skill or capability – it can be about being more self-aware of what and how you are doing things.
Having a coach to be your eyes and ears can reinforce your strengths and offer ideas for the small ways for improvement.
Clear communication is vital if you are the coach. Provide a simple description of what you observe from the situation. Ask probing questions to help the person you are coaching to be more aware of what they and others are doing or saying. Finally, open the conversation towards any adjustments that may derive greater performance.
Whether it is a mentor, career coach, a friend or colleague, ask someone to be a coach to observe you in action and listen to their feedback. Having such a coach may make the difference.
Photo: By fizkes | Shutterstock.
Source: Ted Talk. Dr. Atul Gawande. Want to get great a something. Get a coach. December 2017.