Written by: Jeremie Kubicek
People tend to drift back to mediocrity. Have you ever noticed that?
We get excited to work out, set our goals and before you know it have drifted back to the exact place we were in the beginning.
Whether it’s a new diet or a special project, most people only drift right back to the average.
It is human nature to settle down into a routine that is safe and … average. Honestly, most people don’t want someone pushing them to higher levels unless they choose to make the higher level their objective.
Coaches are the people we accept on the sports field, in a production or in academics to push us to higher levels. We join teams to be called up to higher levels in our selected activity. Shouldn’t the same be true inside our work?
I get it. The “coach” label that many choose to wear in the business field has a stigma of curiosity to it, like, “What do they actually do?” or, “Have they actually done this job?” Credibility is so important, but so is the desire to be better. And I will challenge you that an executive or a team leader with a coach will outperform one without. And if you want to see your team grow or your company reach higher levels, then I strongly encourage you to make coaching a cost of doing business and implement coaches with your leaders.
Coaches come in every shape and size, and they should fit a leader well. I have coached leaders literally around the world (Russia, England, the United States and online virtually in dozens of other countries), and what I have found is that a coach does three things that are particularly helpful to the person and the organization.
- A good coach will create a self-awareness foundation for the leader that benefits the individual and the team because the leader learns what it is like to be on the other side of them and learn how to adapt and change.
- Those weekly initiatives that we all have will be completed more efficiently because the leader has a sounding board to deal with all types of issues. Good coaches turn friction into alignment for those who do the work.
- If you choose to work with a coach, your whole life is impacted, which comes back to benefitting the company. Many issues aren’t at work, but rather at home. By solving issues in all of life, it will benefit the company in the long run.Stop the drift. Turn away from average and become intentional by choosing a coach to turn you into an all-star.
