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COACHING—ONE-TO-ONE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER 10
Similarly, if there are personality conflicts, it is up to the coach to inter-
vene. Often the coach cannot impose a solution, other than forced separation,
but he or she can try to get to the root of the problem and discover ways for the
individuals who are at loggerheads to work together. Ideally, a solution will
come from the two parties themselves, but it will be the coach who brings
them together and gets them talking.
And keep in mind that coaches do not wait for problems to occur. As lead-
ers who exemplify the “management by walking around” philosophy, they
have their antennae tuned to the rhythm of the team. They are responsible not
simply for maintaining morale, but for invigorating it. When coaches sense
that something is amiss, they seek out the cause immediately. Likewise, when
a crisis occurs, they do not hesitate to intervene. Good coaches drop every-
thing and move to solve the problem immediately. Quick action has three ben-
efits: It can provide immediate relief and ameliorate the situation, it can
prevent a small problem from growing larger, and it demonstrates to the orga-
nization that the coach has people’s best interests at heart.
SERVE TO MOTIVATE
Good coaches are known as masters of motivation; they prod their teams to
win. Motivation, of course, cannot be imposed upon an individual; it stems
from the person’s inner drive to achieve. What coaches can do is establish an
environment in which individuals can thrive. They can, as mentioned earlier,
provide alignment between the goals of the individual and the goals of the
organization. At the same time, good motivators need to know when to push
and when to hold back. Some individuals need someone prodding them all the
time; others prefer a laid-back, hands-off approach. It is the coach who
designs a system, or an approach, that is tailored to bring out the best in the
individual for the good of everyone. Part of that system includes a healthy
dose of recognition for a job well done. Joe Torre of the Yankees is a coach
who knows how to do all three—prod the player who may be slacking, encour-
age the player who is struggling, and frequently recognize everyone who is
doing a good job.

DELIVER DISCIPLINE
Not everyone responds to advice. Metaphorically speaking, sometimes the stick
can be more effective than the carrot. Discipline connotes compliance with the
rules, be they rules of quality control or rules of conduct. Delivering discipline,
therefore, is another form of maintaining standards and ensuring that behavior
has consequences. We see this often in the world of sports. A coach will bench a
star player because the player is not practicing hard enough, or because the
player is not demonstrating commitment to the team. In the workplace, a