MEMORABLE COACHING AND
DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES
Attributes of Memorable Coaches
Getting the work done
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Clarifies goals/tasks and manages toward those objectives
Lets employees learn from their own mistakes and helps them move on after/succeed or fail on their own
Encourages risk taking
Solicits and provides honest/consistent/timely feedback
Challenges employees/push employees outside of their comfort zones
Leads by example/role model
Invests time and resources
Ideas
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Sees big picture
Grounded in facts
Thinks outside the box
Open exchange of knowledge
In the workplace
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Shares information appropriately
Respectful of schedules
Navigates politics
Gives access to other parts of organization
Advocates for employees and their ideas
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Attributes of Memorable Coaches
Team
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Communicates with team regularly
Listens to team
Team player
Knows how to build a team
Knows individual motivations of team members
Understands the areas in which their employees work
Treats everyone fairly
Looks to team for solutions
Shares in successes and failures
Democratic leadership – allows team to make decision
Employee
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Concern for employee as a person, not just as an employee
Invests time and resources
Recognizes strengths
Anticipates employees needs
Serves as a mentor
Trains new leaders and coaches
Supports professional development
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Attributes of Memorable Coaches
Personal Traits
• Honest
• Available
• Decision Maker
• Trustworthy
• Respectful
• Transparent
• Common Sense
• Patient
• Inclusive
• Motivational
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Leader
Analytical
Organized
Genuine
Sense of humor
Intuitive
Empowering
Approachable
Inspiring
Disciplined
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Development Happens Every Day
How Development Occurs
Courses
and Reading
10%
20%
Feedback
70%
On the Job Experiences,
Tasks and Problem Solving
 Recently, 200 managers at
Northeastern were asked to recall an
important and memorable development
experience in their own careers
 Their responses were interesting and
varied, and followed common themes.
Interestingly, the themes closely mirror
the model to the right
 The statements that follow are
representative of what the managers
described, not direct quotes
Adapted from research by M.M. Lombardo and R.W. Eichinger for the Center for Creative Leadership
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Memorable Development Experiences
On the Job Experiences, Tasks and Problem Solving
 Participating on a Committee or Task Force, especially if unrelated to my job
 Learning from other’s experiences and styles
 Getting exposure to different activities, processes and expectations
 Challenges me to think differently
 Helps build my skills in teamwork and collaboration
 Helps me understand what is occurring outside my own job/area
 Helps me understand how my job/area fit into the big picture
 Learning from new people in my area
 Hearing about their backgrounds and prior experiences helps me see things differently
 Being open to their ideas and perspectives helps me learn and grow
 Viewing what has been traditionally done in my area through the eyes of new people is helpful in
evaluating if we are doing things the best way or not
 Being asked to instruct or train others
 Forces me to ‘up my game’ and be certain I really know the content
 Challenges me to clearly explain things and answer questions in a way that is understandable to a novice
 Their success is my success, so I want to be sure they learn
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Memorable Development Experiences continued
On the Job Experiences, Tasks and Problem Solving continued
 Dealing with a crisis or an emergency
 Forcing me to deal with ambiguity – both in what to do as well as the outcomes
 Learning from intensely focusing on the issue
 Having to draw upon knowledge and experience ‘on the fly’ to respond and taken action
 Building camaraderie and a sense of ‘we are all in this together’ helped me learn even when we made
mistakes
 Gave me confidence that I am a capable professional in my field
 Working with people of different backgrounds, experiences and styles is enriching
 Taking on ‘stretch’ activities or goals challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and helped others see
what I was capable of
 Being thrown into a situation and having to figure out what I was dealing with and how to handle it
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Memorable Development Experiences
Feedback
 Others have seen things in me that I didn’t see in myself
 Encourage and supported me to take risks I didn’t think I was capable of handling
 Helped me see and appreciate strengths I took for granted
 Committee/team members gave me feedback that caused me to adjust how I handled things, and caused
me to be more effective
 Being open to feedback has helped me understand and navigate the complexities of this University
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Memorable Development Experiences
Courses and Reading
 Going to a conference and then being asked to share the experience (in depth) with colleagues
 Helped me focus on the content while at the conference
 Required that I think through how best to convey the information to others in an accurate way, while also
keeping their interest
 Seeing the Seattle Fish Market video helped me realize that what I put into my work is what I get out of it – if
I am positive, I get positive responses; if I am negative I get negative responses
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