How’s Your Coach Treating You?

The reasons that people hire or choose to work with coaches vary but usually include things like Goal Setting, Accountability, Education and Learning, Motivation, Direction, Skill Development and Action Planning.

If you are a Crossfit athlete, a business owner or a professional athlete, it’s pretty likely that you have regular interactions with a coach.

Those are the basics but there are more ways that coaches are important to have around. But the other things that coaches do may be harder to actually pinpoint because they are less measurable, but no less important. In the absence of these nuances, the skills, intentions and experience of a coach could all be undone.

What I want to know is;

Does your Coach treat you like he/she believes in you, and truly cares about your progress?

Having been coached and actually working in the field of coaching, I understand both sides. I have been around really excellent coaches who have programs that really work and are well planned and executed. Unfortunately, I have worked with those types of coaches who do so well with the mechanics of coaching, but at the same time…..

Those coaches made me feel like crap!

This stuff has happened to me and makes me feel pretty low about my coach. How about you? Have you ever had a coach:

• Be  indifferent to your questions or concerns?
• Ignore phone calls or emails?
• Give you cold shoulder?
•  Been called  out on a mistake or shortcoming in front of  your peers?
• Were used as an example of what not to do, but in a “biting”, non-constructive way?
•  called by the wrong name, and you weren’t new?
• They have little patience with you?
• You are wary of approaching the coach or intimidated by them?
• They have Big Egos (being a know-it-all/ done-it-all)?

Now, as a coach, it was a gut check for me to even list these things. At the end of the day, coaches are humans and susceptible to shortcomings, bad days, and people challenges. BUT, it is my firm contention that it is our responsibility to leave our lives and issues at the door whenever possible and focus on the people who are compensating us for our time, talent and input.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in adult baby-sitting or hand holding, but I do believe that every person on the planet deserves respect. It’s when we don’t feel respected that we often experience negative feelings toward another person.

Sometimes it truly is the coach and their way of doing things, but sometimes, its important to look at yourself and why that coaches attitude or behavior is making you feel bad. Expectations are not always helpful. Gut checks usually are.

Things to do if you feel mistreated  by  your coach:

1. Schedule a private meeting with them. Go into the meeting with a posture of collaboration and understanding. If you posture for an attack or confrontation, chances are you will get exactly that.
2. Keep it under you hat. There is no need to drag someone else associated with coach into the issues. Better to go directly to the source.
3. Take a temporary break from the situation. Cool your jets, get a fresh perspective. If upon returning things are better, then you have not given up on an established relationship. Especially if you have experienced results with the coach, taking a break is better than throwing it all out!
4. Change coaches. Duh, but I do recommend letting them know why before leaving. If the only way out is to burn the bridge, fine, but most times its not. Leave all exits intact if possible.

What has been your most challenging situation with a coach? Was it a problem with them or did you take a close enough look at yourself to know that it may have been partially your issues too?

Please share your stories and comments in the comment box…it’s great to have a conversation going!

 

No matter where you are now, you can get…..

LEAN, STRONG, HEALTHY

 

Anne (Annie) Berryhill is a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach, Crossfit Athlete and competitor who owns and operates OC Fitness Revival in Orange County, CA.   Her services include personal and group training, nutrition classes and counseling. As well as providing incredible health-improving supplementsto help people  to make the most out of what they’ve got.

Are you a Crossfit Trainer? Do you want to earn more doing what you love? Annie has a limited number of spots for her Trainer Mentorship Program to help you build your brand, your reach and your bank account.