The Last Dance is a very recent example that illustrates how a behind-the-scenes glimpse into elite sport at ground level has the power to enthrall so many. Continuing this theme, it is notable how the world of sport and coaching holds a fascination for leaders in business and commerce. Sport serves as a metaphor for much in the business world and the language used in meeting rooms across all sectors tends to be rife with sporting references. The growing use of the terms ‘coach’ and ‘coaching’ within organisations and different professional realms seems to be the latest example of this phenomenon. Or might there be more to this development?

COACHING IN THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REALM…

Over the recent period it has become common practice to engage a coach for individuals seeking to develop leadership and management skills. Those providing this service in the leadership domain operate under the job title ‘executive coach’. When working with entrepreneurs or those involved in businesses of all sizes the recognised term is ‘business coach’. The more generalist ‘life coach’ role is also well established. Extending this trend, more progressive organisations have begun to create positions that feature the word ‘coach’ in the job title within their own staff.

Over a decade ago the Harvard Business Review published a Research Report entitled “What Can Coaches Do For You?”, which explored the nascent trend for business people to engage a coach. The authors of the article offered some tips for choosing a coach to ensure readers were getting value for their money. This raises an interesting question. How do we select and evaluate whomever we enlist in a coaching capacity unless we have some understanding of the fundamental tenets of coaching?

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT…

High performers across domains are defined more by their similarities than their differences. Once we recognise this, we soon realise that the processes and practices employed to prepare performers in elite sport are applicable to high performers in other realms. We can relate coaching and leadership behaviours of the great coaches (nod to Phil Jackson) from the realm of elite sport to leadership and people management in various sectors. Likewise there are numerous parallels we can draw between sport and business from a variety of perspectives - indeed this is a central premise and recurring theme in the recently released Prepared: Unlocking Human Performance with Lessons from Elite Sport, as implied by the title.

It is no coincidence that resources on leadership and management in business look to sport for examples of best practice. In 2012 the Harvard business school undertook an in-depth interview and study of Sir Alex Ferguson, the highly acclaimed manager of Manchester United Football Club, which has since become one of the most widely read case studies they have produced. The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team has similarly been used as a study of organisational culture and performance excellence.

The notion that observing head coaches in sport can provide lessons in organisational leadership for business and society in general is also not a new idea. As the authors of a 2011 study remarked, ‘there is a growing body of literature promoting the transfer of elite performance principles from the sporting domain to the business domain’.

Following this trend, over the past two decades it has become increasingly common for leaders in business to seek out mental skills coaches and sports psychologists. The application of performance psychology for the purposes of performance management and performance coaching is increasingly well established, and is becoming accepted practice in business and other domains beyond sport, including the medical profession. By extension, organisations are increasingly enlisting the consulting services of these practitioners from the sporting domain to assist with teamwork initiatives and change management.

COACHING HUMANS…

Leadership is ultimately coaching, and coaching is effectively leadership. On a more fundamental level, there is an element of coaching in much of what we do in work and life. Effectively we are all coaches in different contexts. So is it as simple as claiming the title of ‘coach’ and stepping into the breach?

Rather than starting from scratch, or simply making it up as we go along, those who lead and manage performers in different sectors should perhaps seek to learn from domains where coaching is well established. Sport would seem the obvious choice for these purposes, so it follows we should look to elite sport for clues on best practice.

We should acknowledge that the specific context will naturally shape application in practice. That said, there are nevertheless fundamental principles and universal themes that we can use to guide our approach in whatever domain we operate. Whilst the coach education pathways in sport vary widely in quality and effectiveness we can nevertheless borrow from the best examples across the world. The extensive coaching sciences literature offer a sound basis to inform initiatives to develop coaching expertise for those in the business realm and other sectors.

MANAGING SELF…

A crucial aspect of performance management that various professions and organisations should account for is how we prepare performers to handle the stress of operating in a high stakes ‘performance environment’. Performing under pressure and strategies for coping with the attendant stresses have been extensively studied in the context of athlete preparation, including abundant study of ‘tactical athletes’ from the military setting in particular. The processes and practices employed to prepare athletes to perform in competition and manage the stresses of ‘athlete life’ thus offer important clues for performers operating in high stakes and high pressure environments across sectors.

Drawing these themes together, managing oneself is a crucial but overlooked part of being a leader and coach. Stress contagion is a very tangible problem in the crucible of high performance sport and this equally applies within other domains. It is important that leaders and coaches acknowledge that how they conduct themselves affects those they serve, especially under high stakes conditions. It follows that those who operate in a coaching capacity have a duty of care to invest in managing themselves in order to remain consistent in their interactions with performers.

IN CLOSING…

The role of coaches and coaching certainly seems to have real merit in various sectors. Equally, if the recent trend for coach positions within and in partnership with organisations is to endure there remains a need for further proof of concept. To that end there is an ongoing need to evolve towards more enlightened and informed approaches in practice. Looking to elite sport and engaging with successful coaches and leaders in that realm remains an important part of this endeavour.

Those interested in learning about the services we offer to organisations and teams can find more via the consulting section on the site. You are also welcome to reach out via the Contact page.

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Also check out the Books section for a host of resources that take a deeper dive on various topics relating to human performance, coaching, athletic preparation and sports injury. The recent release Prepared: Unlocking Human Performance with Lessons from Elite Sport is now available worldwide.

The Evolving Role of Coaches and Coaching Beyond Sport

Further Reading