Some of you actually are managers. By that I mean that you spend your time working with systems, processes and things. But more of you call yourselves managers when in actuality you’re a leader, spending your time primarily working with people.
If you’re the latter, you need to start thinking of yourself as a coach, not a manager. You can manage systems and processes, but you can’t really manage people. They’re unmanageable. They’ll resist and frustrate your attempts to control them at every turn. You can only lead people, poorly or well.
A good coach knows that people need clear expectations, training, encouragement, correction, sometimes a kick in the pants, sometimes a pat on the back. But they don’t need, or respond to management.
This week ask yourself how you’re going to coach your team to better performance.
