Are You An Effective Coach?

As a sales leader you are responsible for coaching your sales team on their skills, development and performance. Are you coaching your team effectively?

Here are some key characteristics of an effective coach:

• Self­‐awareness, observation and reflection

• Recognition of where influence and change can be achieved

• Emotional awareness of self and its impact on others

• Understanding of own strengths and development needs

• Ability to listen intently and challenge without judgment and without defensiveness

• Seeing qualities in others, even if the coachee does not see those qualities within themselves

• Being a role model

• Ability to move others beyond their comfort zone, so that they may learn new behaviours

• Being a passionate advocate of the coaching process, so that others are inspired to stretch themselves

• Recognising when to push, when to hold back, when to support and when to challenge

• Staying on course and focused on the desired outcome even if the coachee loses their direction

Use these as a guide to examine your own effectiveness in coaching your team and to discover the areas you are succeeding in and the areas with potential for growth as a coach.