Do great athletic coaches and great trainers use the same strategies to get people to grow, exceed their own expectations, and succeed?

We think they do. And a recent article that was published by Competitive Advantage supports that opinion. The article, “What Makes a Good Coach?”, outlines some winning traits of top athletic coaches. We think the traits the article describes can also make business trainers and mentors perform at the highest levels. Don’t you?

Traits of Top Coaches

According to the article, great coaches . . .

• Get people to believe in themselves and know they can do more than they think they can.
• Do not use embarrassment and humiliation as “teaching tools.”
• Are great life teachers who teach lessons beyond skills.
• Keep things in perspective.
• Never get their personal egos tied up in the success of their teams.
• Understand that people have different abilities and coach each person for maximum effectiveness – not uniformity.
• Coach the whole person, not just the athlete.
• Are flexible and continually try new approaches for motivating people.
• Are great listeners who know that communication is a “two-way street.”
• Keep the learning environment emotionally safe by calling out bullying, jealousy, and scapegoating.
• Continually challenge people to exceed their established limits.
• Maintain a “beginner’s mind” and challenge themselves to improve.
• Stay attuned to people’s emotions and feelings.
• Conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.
• Take pains to make their sport fun for their athletes.
• Use mistakes as valuable teaching opportunities, not as objects of blame.

Top Traits of Trainers, Mentors, Company Leaders . . . and All Successful People

We think that list from Competitive Advantage is a “keeper” that is worth saving and sharing with your company trainers and with everyone in your organization who supervises employees. It is also worth reviewing from time to time as you build your personal skills as a trainer and mentor.