How important is Coaching?

Coaching…or should I say…continual coaching… is THE… most important ingredient in running a successful business….

But with so much time…effort…and money being spent on coaching …why isn’t it more effective??

Let’s take a look at coaching as a whole…

It goes without saying…that coaching …as with any business function…has to be efficient…effective….and relevant…

Coaching HAS to contribute to business success…

There are some questions that need to be asked… about how successful is the coaching …

First off…do the employees like the coaching?

Secondly…did they actually learn anything??

Third…are they going to use it??

Fourth…will the coaching impact the bottom line??

And fifth…what is the return on investment??

Before you begin any coaching program…you need to ask these 5 questions…

Let’s start with that first question…

Do the employees like the coaching?

Coaching is sometimes seen as punishment…if the employee doesn’t like the coaching …what can they possibly learn from it??

Employees MUST have fun… and be interactive for it to have an effect on them…

The second question is…

Did they actually learn anything??

Is the coaching tailored… to exactly what needs to be improved upon??

Is it the same old stuff that has been beaten into the ground…or is it timely and relevant??

Is it interesting…and more importantly…is it being presented… in an interesting fashion…

The third question is this….

Are they going to use it??

Whatever the coaching consists of…it has to be easy to understand…and simple to use…

Every individual is wired a little bit differently…not one size fits all…

If they are going to use the coaching …it needs to be simplified…practical…good enough…so that everyone will use it…

The fourth question is….

Will the coaching impact the bottom line??

And I am speaking of EVERYONES bottom line….

Not just the business…but the individual that is being coached…

If the individual feels that this will impact their ability to contribute more…both to the business and their own well being…

They are more likely to execute what you have coached…

And the last question…

What is the return on investment??

There is always the question in the back of your mind that says…what if I train the employees and they leave??

The question you need to ask yourself is…what if I don’t train the employees and they stay???

What good will it do the business… to have an employee that does not grow??

How can you grow your business…if you are not constantly seeking a competitive edge every single day??

Too many times… coaching scorecards report activity…number of classes…training days…trainees…etc…

Coaching needs to… develop people…measure success…report on progress…and hold itself accountable…for the success of the business…

To see a video of this blog, go to the following link:

How important is Coaching??

About the Author: With 30 years in the retail Automotive Industry, from a Salesperson to a Dealer, I have a vast amount of experience in all areas of an automotive environment. You can follow me on my website, www.JimKristoff.com, on twitter @jimkristoff, on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkristoff or on youtube, www.youtube.com/user/jimkristoff

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Comment by Stephanie Young on July 22, 2011 at 12:13pm: Agreed Stan!!!! Education needs to come from multiple sources too. At dealerships training, online training, seminars, conferences, reading programs, etc.

Comment by Tom Wiegand on July 22, 2011 at 11:29am: Nobody competes at a high level in anything without coaching, coupled with the pledge to be a continuous learner. There is a wide divide between training and continuous learning through coaching. Let's test something here Jim. Our 14 week Power Synergy Course will be offered free to the entire dealership business for all dealerships responding through this discussion of yours willing to commit (pledge) to our "7 Habits of Highly Energized, Synergized and Productive Businesses™" Playbook. Proof of the importance of coaching awaits those willing to advance the movement from training to coaching to synergy solutions bettering everything and everyone! May God bless us all!
Tom Wiegand; 443-910-7702; coach@asynergycoach.com

Comment by Jim Kristoff on July 20, 2011 at 3:54pm: Amen Stan Sher.....Dealerships DO NOT take training seriously enough!!

Comment by Stan Sher on July 20, 2011 at 3:32pm: Coaching is important. Every dealership should have in their budget to have a trainer come in and work them once to twice per month. We can never be too perfect and skills need to be improved constantly.

Comment by Jim Kristoff on July 19, 2011 at 3:16pm: Very well put Stephanie!!

I played a lot of basketball in my day.....I can relate......

Comment by Stephanie Young on July 19, 2011 at 3:09pm: The sport that so many predicted I would excel at was actually where I floundered. When it came to the hardwood, the only skill I had was shooting free throws. My coaches gave up on trying to teach me to drive down the line and focused on teaching me how to draw fouls. As a result of constant drilling, if there was an Olympic sport for free-throws in a minute I would certainly be standing on that podium crying my eyes out while they played the US National Anthem with some gold around my neck. Absolutely, never stop coaching! My coaches never gave up on me, but they did coach to my skill. I might not have been the superstar of my team, but I racked up some points. There was even that moment of glory when a foul was drawn in the last seconds and my next two free throws had to count to walk away with a "W". As a coach, you need to discover the skill sets for each team member and coach them accordingly. Not every team member is going to be a superstar, but all are vital to the outcome of the game and sometimes they may even be the deciding factor in winning or losing the game. Coach on!!!!!

Comment by Jim Kristoff on July 19, 2011 at 3:08pm: There you go Marsh.....next blog up and running....

Comment by Marsh Buice on July 19, 2011 at 2:49pm: I think so...cant wait to read it.

Comment by Jim Kristoff on July 19, 2011 at 2:46pm: Thanks Marsh!

I agree with the statement you have told your son! I tell people that the day I STOP critiquing you is the day I have given up on you!

Coaching NEVER ends.......hmmmmm........sounds like my next blog.......

Comment by Marsh Buice on July 19, 2011 at 2:22pm: Great post Jim! I have been fortunate to have great coaches in my life. They make all of the difference in the world, I tell my son, when your coach stops coaching you, he has given up on you...its a good thing he is always commenting on your performance, not a bad one. In our business we have the "set it and forget it" attitude. We train them, then throw them out there and hope they get it. It takes alot of time and energy to coach up each member, but the dividends compound in results versus to not coach them at all, that is why some dealerships lack such high turnover. Thanks for the though provoking post.