What makes a great coach? Communication

Move, you gotta move your feet

During Coaching Café this week we continue the momentum of focussing on the top 10 practices of the world’s best coaches from What Makes a Great Coach?

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You gotta move ya feet

We’ve all been there. Perhaps as a parent, guardian, on-looker or passing by the local high school.

‘Move, move. You gotta move ya feet.’

Over and over again the coach insisted. Like an irate seagull fighting for scraps of bread. Until they said, ‘Okay, bring it in. What’s wrong with you today? Why aren’t you moving your feet?’

The player shrugged. ‘I’m just not feeling it today’. And that was the end of the session.

Quite often it’s this style of sports-coaching that is associated with coaching in the workplace.

However, it’s not what we call coaching.

Well-meaning adults expecting others to fall in line

Sadly, what I had just witnessed could be playing out on any court or in any sport. In fact, all around the world. Coaches, parents and well-meaning adults. Whatever their relationship to the player – yelling directions at their players and expecting them to fall in line and change.

Furthermore, we see this in the workplace also. Perhaps without the yelling. But with the expectation that if a manager gives you a direction, you are going to fall in line.

Now we are not talking about not following directions. Or any form of insubordination or breaking the code of conduct.

However, as Patrick Mouratoglou, founder of the Mouratoglou Academy said:

‘The real job (of a coach) is to understand how people communicate. Because it is different for everyone.’

Adapting your communication style

Experienced coaches know that you need to adapt your communication style. Especially, to meet the needs of the person you are coaching. Furthermore, in What Makes a Great Coach? we talk about adopting a coachee-centred approach.

The coachee-centred communication style can often be used interchangeably with terms like collaborative and partnering. Alternatively guided discovery, enquiry, and questioning.

This communication style is two-way. Rather than telling and directing. Importantly, the manager or leader acting a coach asks great questions to bring out the best in their coachee. The coachee is more responsible for their decisions and actions beyond simply following instructions.

This alternative communication style invites greater input to the how, why, and what of learning. Importantly, the coach is acting as more of a facilitator of the learning. In terms of communication, you’ll hear good quality questions. We cover a lot of these questions on our Leader as Coach program. Rather than the old yelling and telling. This helps encourage the coachee to become more self-aware and to do their own problem-solving. Furthermore, explore solutions to various challenges. In addition, it brings out the high performance we are seeking in the workplace.

The practice of communication

Communication is stated as one of the three top qualities of a great coaches. Especially, by many coaches and players including: former WTA World No. 1 in doubles, tennis player and coach Gigi Fernandez. In addition, former WTA World No. 1 tennis player Justine Henin. Also, Australia’s own, former WTA World No. 26 tennis player, World No. 3 in doubles and media commentator Casey Dellacqua. Just to name a few.

What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices. And communication is Practice number 9.

Importantly we offer key questions that we can all use to reflect on how we communicate.

Justine Henin

Casey Dellacqua

Gigi Fernandez

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