What makes a great coach? Belief
I believe I can fly!
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?
This week we turn our attention to the practice of belief.
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What if all managers had the same belief in their staff?
Why do we care about this as workplace coaches? Well because belief is built into our practice. We believe in our clients and their abilities. Furthermore, it’s our job to bring out the best in them.
Then it struck me.
What if all managers in the workplace, shared the same beliefs in their staff members?
What difference would that make?
It would lead to workplace engagement and high performance.
Team members are looking to see if their manager authentically believes in the strategic direction of the organisation. And in the business unit goals. If they don’t believe, then it’s unlikely that the team members will believe. Furthermore, do what’s necessary to achieve the goals.
In addition, we just cannot have high performance in the workplace if we don’t believe in our team members and their capabilities.
That sounds unrealistic
Interestingly, in some workshops we get push back on this idea. It sounds too unrealistic to some people. You’re not going to make me sing ‘I believe I can fly’ are you? Or seriously, does every kid need to get a prize?
But it’s not about being unrealistic. Furthermore, we are not talking about an arrogant kind of belief. More of a self- assured, authentic, kind of belief. One that comes with the experience of knowing who you are and what you do.
As Helen Thompson, head of global learning and development for an international service-based company said: What makes a great coach? Someone who is compassionate, has empathy, and believes in themselves, their team members, and the company’s purpose.
How do we build belief in others?
As we talk about in the book, one of the tangible things we can focus on as leaders and coaches is to give people the opportunity to build experience in the work. Work that they’re doing or the new work that you want them to do. This builds confidence over time until there is a tipping point at which belief kicks in.
You probably know of several people you have asked to work at a ‘higher duties level’. At the time they may not have been confident. However, as they built experience in the role, their confidence increased, and the belief followed.
We want to be the person that is talked about when our team members say, ‘My manager thought I could do it. In addition, my manager believed in me.’
By the way, it takes work to hold those beliefs and to avoid a negative mindset. But we can be assured that the work we do in the workplace to assist our team members around their positive beliefs will last a lifetime.
Building our own practice of belief
What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices.
Emma and Natalie share the research and stories around belief in the book. And most importantly we explore how we build belief in the people that we are coaching and what difference it makes to the workplace.
Have you got your copy? What about copies for your team?
And it’s official! What Makes a Great Coach? has hit Amazon #1 Best Seller in multiple categories Australia. We are so grateful for your support, messages and for helping us celebrate. Buy now or contact us if you want multiple copies and to access the special offers.
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