Is it possible to start coaching your team even without your manager’s support? Can you be the only sales unit in the company with a coaching culture and still be successful?

Undeniably, the answer is YES!!! Regardless of the country or the number of times I’ve delivered my management coach training, I know there are certain inevitable questions that managers will ask. The first question I always hear by the second day of this training is, “Keith, is my boss taking this course? They REALLY need to take this course!”

The second question I hear is, “Keith, I fully believe in coaching and will certainly commit to becoming a better coach. However, what about the overall result driven culture of this company and more specifically, what about my boss? He doesn’t do any coaching, or he thinks he’s coaching but he’s not.

So, how can I then coach my people if all I hear from my boss are interrogating, result driven questions about my commitments, numbers, quota, results and goals?”

To the question originally posed, yes, you can be the only team creating the culture that you feel is most productive, healthy and enjoyable for everyone, even if it may currently conflict with elements of your existing culture.

It’s also your responsibility to insulate your people from the pressure you’re feeling from the top. Otherwise, you’re now just doing to your people what you hate having done to you by your boss.

I can assure you that it will be only a matter of time until people start paying attention to you because you’re doing far better than the other teams. Of course, I’d suggest still speaking with your boss and coaching up, so they know that your intentions are still aligned with corporate objectives.

That’s how you change a culture and leave a legacy you can be proud of. Always remember who has the power to create the culture on your team.

You.

You are the person who interacts with your team the most. You are the one who creates a certain atmosphere during every conversation and interaction. Whether face to face, phone or email, in every interaction, you are either building trust and the culture you want or you’re eroding it.

Ultimately, the culture is you.

Photo Credit: JD Hancock