A633.8.3.RB - How Do Coaches Help?

I have had the opportunity to have many coaches in my career and also growing up as a teenager. I played little league baseball for several years and learned how to play baseball. I was a member of the track and field team in junior high school and was a star shot putter because of several great coaches. I was in Boy Scouts for many years and several coaches enabled me to earn skill and merit badges. Although I was a scout for five years, my deepest regret is that I did not stick with it and become an eagle scout. I played football for several years in high school and was a two way starter and superstar tackle on the team because of good coaches. I also played tidbit football too. I had several college visits for potential football scholarships to Georgia Tech and Penn State, however, these did not materialize. I was a member of a church for many years and the pastor and sunday school teacher were my coaches including baptism. In college, I was on the powerlifting team for four years and had a good coach who enabled me to win several prestigious awards, trophies and plaques. I was a member of Junior Achievement (JA) for several years and had several excellent coaches from IBM. This prepped me for business along with setting up and running a company. And I had several good college advisors colleges (and professors) who coached me in my academic career and graduating with honors. Several honorable mention coaches I have had the opportunity to meet are Joe Paterno and John Wooden. Wooden's Pyramid of Success and wisdom including: be true to yourself, make each day your masterpiece, drink deeply from good books including the Good Book, make friendship a fine art and help others are so powerful and challenging (and so applicable for life too). And both were both from my alma maters too. In a summary these coaches prepared me for life, taught me skills, and were role models examples including character. Skills included teamwork, communication, physical and mental fitness, problem-solving, lead by example and commitment to excellence. And also be servant leader as in the Boy Scout motto "do a good deed daily" assuming you will receive nothing in return and also the powerful strategy "be prepared". In my professional career, I have had several good coaches too. It took me four years to get my lean six sigma black belt certifications from Lockheed Martin and The University of Texas at Austin. This included projects (project management), mentoring lower level green and black belts, training and tests. My coaches provided me with examples, direction and exposing me and my abilities to leadership for project management positions. Back in McDonnell Douglas days, I was selected for a section manager training program which was a two year program including classroom theory, four rotational assignments and outside projects and education. This was a great program as it exposed my to management and leadership. I was fortunate enough to have a great coach who pushed me with stretch goals, assignments and opportunities. Now in my mid career at Boeing, I have a great coach exposing me to new projects, assignments and opportunities including being a mentor to lower level teams. From an organization, leadership and strategy perspective, coaching enables achieving goals and objectives. References Obolensky, Nick (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership: Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty. Farnham (Surrey), England: Gower Publishing Limited.