The seven habits of highly effective coaches

The seven habits of highly effective coaches

1-Be proactive

This not just taking initiative this is the first step achieving you goals as a coach/ team. The acknowledgement that as a whole the players and coach are responsible for achieving the goals that have been set. In other words your goals are in your hands and that is the first thing to realise.

Focus only what can be controlled.

There are two aspects to this:
What can you as coach control relating to your own performance?
What aspects of performance can the team control?
Take positive steps to control these aspects and improve them.
You can only improve what you can influence, if you try to influence what you can’t control you create factors which lead to poor performance. The intelligent use of control is a good habit to develop as a coach.
2-Begin with the end in mind.
This is your coaching vision and can be divided into two sections:
What are your values, beliefs and views as a coach? In other words what is your coaching mission statement?
Do you have a clear image of how you want your team to play?
How will your team use the ball?
How will you organise your defence?
Your midfield?
Your attack?
How will these interact?
Which aspect is most important?
How will you organise your set plays?
What qualities are most important to you in a team?
How will you know you have achieved this?
How will you train to achieve it?
3-Put first things first
After one and two you should have a list of controllable factors for both performance as a team and yourself as a coach and a clear vision of your own philosophy towards important aspects of the game.
You have the goal i.e where you want to be and have a list of factors which you can improve to get you there.
This is the part where the coaching and team training habits are acted out on the training ground in step by step way. Ask yourself certain questions.
What will be the goals for each training session?week?month of the season?
What particular aspects will need to be reinforced in relation to the end goal?
Which training methods will effectively achieve my aims? what specific tweaks on these will refine these improvements?
How can I use/improve the squads strengths and weaknesses to bring the achievement of the goal closer?
This the phase where you plan and act out what needs to be done to achieve the overall season goal. The point is not to just to develop positive habits on the training ground it about developing the correct habits in relation to the aims you have set as a coach and team.This is where your season plan is set.
4-Think win/win
constant improvement in certain areas in order maximise potential. The aim is to find the point where the players get the most benefit for themselves and also get the correct results on the pitch=win win
There three aspects to this:
Character
Relationships
Agreements
Ask yourself as a coach:
What qualities will enable the team to get results and enjoy the football they play?and also develop as players?
What positive traits can be reinforced to give the team a strong character?enjoyment,determination?love of hard work?
How can the team be managed in a way in way that brings character into line with the goal?
Relationships this is about finding the win/win balance in management qualities ask yourself questions like.
How can I have discipline without being seen as a bully?
How can I let players get involved in making choices without being seen as week?
How can I can I get my players playing for with out to friendly to the team?
Agreements
This is for aspects for example discipline or goals where the squad will have a say in what goals will need to e set and what goals should be let go.
5-seek first to understand the be understood
This is something the coach must do consistsantly. This focusing on aspects such as understanding the specialist areas which will influence the performance of the team yourself, understanding the players. This should be an attitude of constant learning.
Continuously observe players in different situations
Continue to learn new coaching methods
Be a reflective coach
Before the coach can put the correct message across or train the players in a way they will easily understand the coach must first aim to understand the factors of the game him/herself.
6 -develop synergy
The aim of this habit is for the coach to balance all of the above habits and to constantly refine each one until improvement continues. All factors influence success therefore balance all and aim for a good interaction between all of the parts ask yourself questions like?
How can a balance be created in the teams actions?
How can each area be refined economically?
7-sharpen the saw
This one of the most important, most coaches will work on basics but then alot will move on quickly when they think they have done what is needed. This is wrong the basics are the foundation of all success you can only be as good as your basic factors allow you to be both as a team and as a coach.This means:
Constantly refine the aspects of the coaching process such as observation, communication, planning effective sessions etc
Working hard in the four basic areas of performance-physical,mental, tactical, technical
Constantly sharpen the basic aspects of your own methods play in relation to your vision