Today I would like to spend a few minutes on the difference between coaching and cheerleading. I recently received an email from an HR director at a southern CU. She was troubled by the response of a manager who was worried about the fear that some of her employees had concerning their soon to be rolled out sales and service culture. The manager felt that each employee should only receive positive reinforcement. Here is what the manager said, “I would like current employees to have one full year of coaching and only positive reinforcement techniques … You can’t learn, adapt, or succeed when you’re fearful.”
That manager has been hired to coach her employees, but she thinks that her role is to be the head cheerleader. In competition there is a role for both, but she wants to be a cheerleader when she really needs to be the coach. Cheerleaders are very gifted at encouraging and exhorting. But coaches need to deal with both positive and negative behavior.
In sports, the most effective coaches are able to inspire players to reach great heights and to also hold them accountable to high standards. They are equally at home recognizing great performance and reprimanding poor performance.
For many managers (coaches), their greatest undoing is not holding the needed conversations. Issues don’t just go away. They need to be addressed.
I wish you all the best as you effectively ‘coach’ your team.
Rick Olson is helping credit unions turn managers into coaches. His “Coaching College,” an on-location training program, has developed managers who can effectively lead a sales and service culture. His brand new CD series “Drive Time U” is designed for busy managers to listen to on their way to work each day.Keywords: cheerleading, Coaching, manage, positive reinforcement