01 May Lesson Number Six: You Play Better with a Coach Who Knows the Game

Posted at 13:28h in Business Development by

Coaches matter. In fact, a so-so team can be taken to an unimaginable level based solely on the coach they have. Coaches serve many roles for a baseball team:

  1. They see the big picture. A catcher or first baseman may see the game only from their limited perspective; the coach sees everything on the field and how all the pieces fit together.
  2. They have the wisdom of experience. The average coach has lived through more games than the average player, and they’ve seen things that some players haven’t. They bring that experience to the team.
  3. They are invested in the outcome, but they are in it for the long haul. Just as kids can’t see past the end of the school year, players sometimes can’t see beyond the end of the season. The coach can put things into perspective.
  4. They inspire. Because they care deeply about the players and the game, they are able to connect with the team in a way outsiders cannot. (If you have any doubt of this, just check out some of the famous “locker room” speeches from great sports movies such as “A League of Their Own.”)
  5. They get you in shape. No one WANTS to do stadium steps or run wind sprints, but the coach knows that these unsavory exercises are what’s needed to whip the team into shape.

Just as you’ve never seen a winning ball team without a coach, you’d be hard-pressed to find a winning business person without a coach as well.

A business coach can perform many of these same roles that a baseball coach does. They can help keep things in perspective, guide you from their experience and wisdom, help you think past the next fiscal quarter, and motivate and inspire you to move forward. They know what needs to be done, and in what order, so they keep you from wasting time and energy on unnecessary tasks.

The best coaches get personal satisfaction in helping you succeed, so choose wisely. Find a mentor with a history of successes not just on the field, but as a coach as well. You wouldn’t want a baseball coach who was still reliving his glory days as a Major League fielder and felt in competition with the players on his team; you also don’t want a business coach who feels threatened by your success.

Ask around for recommendations; the list of talented Major League Baseball coaches is short, and the best candidates come from referrals. The same is true in the business arena.