If you buy a little goldfish and keep it in a small bowl it will remain no bigger than a few inches long. Move that same fish to a large aquarium and it will double or triple in size. Put the goldfish in a large pond and it can grow up to a foot long! The biggest factor that determines the size of the fish is the size of its environment. And so it is with people.
Many managers see people as they are and treat them according to what they see. A less effective manager would take a small goldfish and keep it in the little bowl because it would be inefficient and wasteful to put it in a larger environment.
Outstanding coaches, however, see people as they could be and work to grow that potential. Our research shows that extraordinary coaches share these attributes:
- Caring deeply about the coachee’s progress
- Believing people can grow, change, and improve
- Focusing on the future
- Showing interest beyond immediate job performance
- Allowing solutions to come from the coachee
- Having more frequent, shorter conversations
- Supporting and encouraging
Click on Keys to Extraordinary Coaching for a two minute video clip of me presenting and explaining these points. How many of these attributes describe your coaching or the coaches in your organization?
Want to discuss this post? Contact us!