ABSTRACT
Vince Lombardi, the venerable coach of the Green Bay Packers, always started offtraining camp by having all of his players sitting around him on the field. Coaching to improve performance has a higher probability of success for those seen as questionable fits or diamonds in the Rough who are perceived at least as having some potential. Coaching is best employed where specific improvement goals and clear benefits have been identified in an Impact map and outlined in a learning map and not just “finishing school” kinds of challenges. Coaching can prevent derailment by helping the employee identify potential failure modes and by developing specific preventive and contingent action plans to address them. Manager-coaches want to make certain that they remember that the needs of the coachee are also critical and must also be taken into consideration as they are helped to develop.
