by Tom Ainsworth

“Hey Coach!”… that phrase brings lots of memories. My first recall was 5^th grade basketball and my first organized team sport. He was an old college star who just loved being close to the game and watching others light up as their passion for the game and for winning intensified while playing on the court.

My next vivid “coach” memory was my freshman wrestling coach in high school. He was 140 lbs. and small in stature, yet all muscle. I was just a bit over 100 lbs (when sweating) and very new at this sport. He inspired me when he walked up to a 190 pounder during one of our first practices and picked him right up off the floor. He showed us techniques to do the seemingly impossible, while conditioning us to think like champions. His coaching success was phenomenal. We won two state championships out of the 4 years I attended High School in Ohio. I have always had a deep appreciation for good coaching and getting results.

That was then… this is now. I have been in consulting for 12 years and was in manufacturing operations for over 20 years before that. Over the years, I have found myself in many leader and team coaching situations. Some processes were rather formal and some were part of the package of working with leaders and teams.

Just two weeks ago, I became a certified coach for one of our large clients using a multi-rater 360º feedback assessment tool. During the certification process we learned the formal processes and were reminded about how coaches helped people to see their blind spots. After the certification day was over I was anxious to apply what I had learned.

So here’s the fun part, this week I was interviewing a senior leadership team member of a large capital project to get a pulse check on the team effectiveness and areas for improvement. He did not know about my newly minted coach certification. When we were wrapping up our conversation, he asked me if we could take some extra time and talk about leadership team blindspots; specifically, some that he might have and how to overcome them. He didn’t come right out and use the words “Hey Coach,” he didn’t have to. I love watching people light up as their passion for leadership and getting breakthrough results intensifies. My leadership team friend is now aware of my coach certification and has expressed an interest in trying out my new skills.

Tercon consultants have a special talent for developing and aligning leaders and teams with mixing in just the right blend of coaching. Be sure to browse our website for client testimonials from some talented all stars.