Twelve "Must Have" Traits
Of An Effective Coach

By Allyn Cutts, President
Cutts Group, llc

The job of a coach is simple: bring out the best. That's right, a good coach will make every effort to help bring out your very best, your "A" game - and do it as quickly as possible.

Part teacher, part leader, part cheering section and motivator, a good coach has the skill to mold behaviors as well as skill sets. One management guru identified a coach as "someone who lends experience, encouragement, and understanding to inspire someone to his or her best performance."

If it sounds as if everyone could benefit from having a coach, that's because it's true. Good coaches help people reach unexpected levels of performance in all areas.

If you've never used the services of a coach before, take a moment to consider how the right coach might improve performance and morale in your organization.

Briefly stated, a good coach can help:

1. Develop competence and skill levels
2. Correct unsatisfactory, or unacceptable performance
3. Identify, and correct, behavioral problems
4. Provide guidance and counseling
5. Teach others how to coach themselves

Coaching can be a positive experience for every member of your team, including managers and senior executives. But if you're working with a coach for the first time, how do you know how to choose one?

It's easy. Really good coaches share twelve characteristics that contribute to their effectiveness. You'll be able to spot them right away:

1. Positive Attitude - Good coaches don't find fault or point the finger at mistakes. Who needs that? We all get plenty of feedback on the negatives, often from ourselves. Instead, they shine a light on what's right! They quietly attempt to identify problems and offer solutions -all the while expecting, and bringing out, the best in their team members.

2. Enthusiasm -Yes, it is infectious. And good coaches spread it around to as many people as possible. Like solar rays, good coaches generate positive energy-- with a passion-- all the time.

3. Supportiveness - Providing the right tools, the right instruction, the right answers and the right environment to make it easier for top performance to "happen" ---are just some of the ways a coach shows support.

Cheerleading from the sidelines and offering ongoing encouragement are important, but making sure everything necessary to get the job done is in place and functioning, is the real show of support.

4. Trust - Good coaches expect everyone they work with to be honest and conscientious. Period. They build trust and confidence by extending both to others.

5. Focus - Like a laser beam, a good coach narrows his/her focus to the task at hand. Communication is specific and free of extraneous detail.

6. Goal/Outcome Oriented - Whether it's to make a first down, win a new client or hone a new skill, a good coach maintains clearly defined, well-formed outcomes for each goal and lists the steps needed to reach each goal. The desired outcome and the specific tasks are clearly articulated to everyone in the loop.

7. Knowledge - Coaches are teachers. The really good ones know their subjects matter broadly and deeply.

8. Acuteness - Body language, posture, eye contact, voice modulation, all relay vital information about what a person is thinking or feeling. Good coaches have an acute awareness of the nuances of all the modalities of behavior. They hone in on signals and are keenly alert to incongruities than can signal developing problems.

9. Respectfulness - To be effective, a coach must go beyond tolerating differences and diversity and celebrate them.

10. Patience - Part survival skill, part virtue; patience demonstrates respect for busy schedules and differences in work styles. It values getting the job done right-even if it takes longer.

11. Clarity - Specific details, conveyed in simple easy to understand, unambiguous language are hallmarks of a successful coach.

12. Assertiveness - A good coach acts with confidence and maintains a strong presence.

If you're looking to maximize the performance in your organization, and think the right coach might help, you can learn more about coaching and other quality programs through Performance PLUS Coaching, a comprehensive approach to people, performance and management created by Cutts Group. For details, contact the Cutts Group at (800) 482-7280, or (610) 437-4106 outside the U.S. and Canada or visit us on the web at http://www.cuttsgroup.com.

The Cutts Group partners with clients who are committed to continuous growth. We provide the organizational development, team building, employee selection, executive coaching, and sales training resources our clients demand for measurable results and return on investment. Satisfaction and investment are always guaranteed, always.