Becoming a Better Coach

Becoming a Better Coach

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

Often the busyness of our day-to-day activities keeps us from reflecting on important skills. Are you working with your son, daughter or even your grandchildren on your farm or ranch? Have you considered lately what kind of coach or teacher you are?

Jolene Brown, farmer, professional speaker, author, and family business consultant shares what some farmers and ranchers often have a tendency to do to the next generation when it comes to giving instructions.

Brown: “Here is how we coach in agriculture. ‘Watch and then you’ll know. Get out of my way, I can do it quicker. Read my mind.’ Yet none of those things lead to truly the teaching and the evaluation we need in our family business. We have to watch out for our old habits. And one of the things that will help us to do this is to stop for a minute and think about who we had growing up as a good coach maybe a sports coach, somebody in music, 4-H or FFA. What made that individual a good coach? Write down those characteristics and then compare that list to your style of coaching the next generation of your family business.”

How do you measure up? Is there some room for improvement? What traits or skills could make you a better coach in your family? And are you willing to work to improve those skills?

Brown: “Remember somebody may forget exactly what you told them, but they will never forget how you made them feel. And coaching is about coaching the whole person, not just the results.”

To read more of Jolene’s wisdom and humor go to www.jolenebrown.com.

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.