A key part of nurturing talent is effective coaching. How we connect is crucial but can you talk less and matter more?
Take one second and think about the best teacher, coach or mentors you ever had.
Now come up with one memory of them fast.
Got it?
What’s your memory? Is it something they said? Something they did?
Perhaps what you remembered wasn’t anything particular they said or did, but just their face – specifically their eyes, and how those eyes looked at you – or, rather looked into you.
The lasting impact of our teachers might not be contained in their words, but in the connections they form with us.
When you look around today, many leaders seem to be doing everything but connecting. Go to a football game, for instance, and you tend to see coaches on the sideline doing a lot of talking (shouting out mid-game advice, orchestrating the action), but not a lot of connecting. Certain CEO’s and managers are similar, orchestrating things via email.
Do you really hear the question and give it due consideration. Do you connect with your team?
Great coaches and teachers spend their time watching and listening not talking. When they communicate, they don’t just start talking first they connect on an emotional level, to one individual at a time. They deliver concise, useful information, and they make that information stick. So next time you approach a coaching session think about…
Then take action and start raising the bar.
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