COACHING
Boy Scout Style
Commissioner’s Conference 2011
Key 1: Positive Relationship
between Leader and Coach
• It does not take a genius to know we have to
have a good relationship with the people we are
working with. If you cannot get along with your
leader, it is only fair to refer them to someone
else. Any coach with integrity will be passionate
about ensuring their leader gets the most out of
their coaching sessions. As a leader, ask
yourself: "Would I trust this person with my life?"
Key 2: Setting Own Goals
• It is not up to the coach to say to the leader:
"This is what you should do and this is what you
must do.“ Sure, sometimes the coach can
gently suggest bigger goals and outcomes
based on their perception of what the leader can
achieve, but it is essential that the leader wants
it too. A good coach knows how important this
principle is and will encourage leaders to set
their own goals to push them beyond their
current thinking.
Key 3: Learning New Skills
• For anyone to achieve personal growth and
development, learning new skills is a must! A
good coach will encourage leaders to participate
in both finding areas for improvement and
developing new skills. An open-minded leader
will appreciate that perfection does not exist and
there is always room for improvement; be it in
the form of hard skills on technical and
administrative ability, soft skills in terms of
interpersonal communications, attitudes and
motivation, or both.
Key 4: Positive Expectation and
Attitude for Change
• Coaches encourage their leaders to have a positive
outlook because they know success demands it.
Excellent coaches will actively support this attitude by
encouraging leaders to notice how much they have
achieved so far. Recognizing that past mistakes or
failures are opportunities to learn from is one of the basic
elements that allow the leader to start having a positive
attitude for the future. Leaders will do themselves a favor
by adopting this attitude as soon as possible if they do
not have it already. A good coach will use their
knowledge to assist the leader to think, feel, talk and
take action with an attitude of positive expectation, rather
than fear, doubt or necessity.
Key 5: Develop Self Awareness
• Self awareness includes understanding our personality,
our likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Often
leaders lack this awareness which can cause limitations
in their personal development or results. By fully
understanding what makes us tick we better recognize
what fulfills us and what does not. An excellent coach
should highlight the leader’s motivations behind what
they do and why they do it. This knowledge empowers
them to change their behavior if it does not support their
future outcomes.
• Presence of these five keys will elevate any coaching
process. These are the five principles for creating
positive and long-lasting change.
What the Coach Does
• acts as an external expert observer making sure
that the leader’s aim is true and their actions are
congruent
• helps the leader identify and define their specific
goals, and then organize themselves to attain
these goals
• provides help in motivating and keeping the
leaders motivated to reach their goals
Basic Components of Coaching
• dealing essentially with the development of skills
through practice and training
• analyzing the components of particular skills,
techniques and the environment in order to
assist the leaders
• setting increasingly challenging goals
• seeking to identify problems or weaknesses
• spotting potential, building on strengths and
taking advantage of talent and opportunity.
Basic Tools of Coaching
• asking effective questions
• listening
• providing clear - constructive or positive –
feedback
• organizing
Effective Questions
• Effective questions open the door to knowledge
and understanding. The art of questioning lies in
knowing which questions to ask when. "Address
your first question to yourself: if you could press
a magic button and get every piece of
information you want, what would you want to
know? The answer will immediately help you
compose the right questions.“
• Use open questions to gain insight into the other
person's character, and to invite the response.
Ask a specific question if you want to hear a
specific answer
Listening
• Rule #1: Stop Talking!
• Rule #2: Create a Space
• Rule #3: Hold Your Judgments
• Rule #4: Don't Be a Label Reader
• Rule #5: Open Your Mind
• Rule #6: Focus
• Rule #7: Visualize
• Rule #8: Remember Names
• Rule #9: Question
• Rule #10: Be Aware
Feedback
• Ask for feedback
• It is the elevator to success
Organize
Assist leaders in discovering the BSA
organization
Training – every Scout deserves a trained
leader
Opportunities – advancement – leadership
development – high adventure – Order of
the Arrow – Staff positions - FUN
Coaching Quotes
• “Coaches have to watch for what they don't want
to see and listen to what they don't want to
hear." John Madden
• "Leadership is a matter of having people look at
you and gain confidence, seeing how you react.
If you're in control, they're in control." Tom
Landry
• A good coach will make his players see what
they can be rather than what they are." Ara
Parasheghian