Main Idea
How focused are you on developing your team members? How focused are you on developing yourself? Is this something that doesn’t get done because you are not sure what to do? Do you struggle with coaching? Do you struggle with accepting other’s ideas and direction?
Expansion of Idea
I have been reading a new book by John Wooden called “Game Plan for Life”. This is a book written by the former basketball coach of UCLA outlining his reasons for success. (His teams won 10 national championships in 12 years.) He describes the mentors in his life and the people he has mentored. The amazing thing about this book is, even though there is nothing revolutionary about any of the ideas, I instantly can relate to the stories and how my own coaching skills can be improved. (And I am talking about a lot of improvement.) I happen to love basketball which makes the stories very interesting.
However, the ideas and applications are instantly useful in my roles as a business owner, parent, community volunteer and probably another role or two that I can’t think of immediately. Coaching and/or mentoring are skills that tend to atrophy if you don’t work on improving them. We need to look to get better in this area. And the only way to get better is to learn from others, ask for advice and feedback, and to spend dedicated time working on these skills. If you look at the best coaches in the business world or in athletics, they are constantly working on their skills.
Suggested Areas to Start
Read “Game Plan for Life” by John Wooden
Ask yourself how much time you actually spend coaching your people.
Ask your team if you are coachable yourself.
Do you need a personal coach?
Are there skills that you can learn?