Taking someone where they can’t take themselves
For goal geeks who love using maps, tools or technology to achieve big goals, I mentioned last time that mind mapping is a ROBUST dimension to add to your approach. To read that article, click here.
I had the privilege of coaching my wife to complete her first Olympic distance triathlon. Her only stated goal was to finish – and making it into the top half of the field would have been impressive.
Out of 100 women, she came in 11th place – not bad for her first time!! I had her running in the rain, swimming in the ocean, and celebrating her birthday that year [a few weeks before the race] with a 30-mile bike ride – it was pure bliss! Just kidding.
Actually, she hated my approach. Hated my choice for workouts, hated my feedback on her stroke / running gait / pedal stroke. But she was LOVIN’ ELEVENTH PLACE FOR HER FIRST RACE!!!!! She was clearly taken somewhere she couldn’t have arrived on her own.
So, what’s the point? Some goals just ain’t happenin’ without someone whispering or barking in our ear. Yes, process is important – but without chemistry, effective coaching falls apart. Great coaching requires knowing when to push and when to pull. It’s like combining Dancing with the Stars with Shark Tank – it’s that precise.
So which coaching archetype motivates you most?
- Major Payne – you gotta get it loud, direct, and even threatening to produce (me)
- Yoda – you need a soft-spoken wizard who can bend time and light
- Cheerleader – rainbows, sunshine, and unicorns even when it’s raining outside – yay!!!
Punch line? Great coaching takes us places we can’t take ourselves. It’s up to us to find Major Payne or Yoda or a Cheerleader and dig in. This whole series is either an introduction or a wakeup call that there are NO EXCUSES to prevent you from achieving goals – there is just so much GREAT stuff out there to pave the way. NOW DO IT, YOU MAGGOT!
This is part six of a ten-part series taken directly from “The Rewired Group – Coaching Experience“.