After attending an inspiring weekend course packed with information and tools to enhance your coaching, you are motivated and eager to implement these changes in your next session.
However, two weeks later, you find yourself slipping back into old habits, such as favoring certain cues or using habitual coaching methods.
You encounter resistance from your members and perhaps even your colleagues, leaving you feeling deflated and uncertain.
You may start questioning your coaching abilities, wondering why you need help to successfully apply the new knowledge and tools you have gained.
It’s frustrating, but you’re not the only one facing these challenges. Many coaches, like you, find it difficult to implement lasting changes in their coaching practices.
Understanding the Social Context of Coaching
Coaching does not occur in isolation; it is a social practice embedded within a specific social context. Social practice refers to the collective actions and behaviors we engage in as a group. These practices are shaped by the community’s norms, values, and expectations and are recognized and accepted by its members. Coaching involves repetitive, established, and widely recognized behaviors and attitudes members and fellow coaches accept.
When you attempt to change these behaviors and attitudes, you disrupt this social practice. Change is unsettling. Your members may feel uncomfortable and uncertain about your new expectations, such as more individual feedback or a different training structure. This uncertainty can cause you to question what you are doing, and to feel more comfortable you revert to familiar, established methods.
So, how can you ensure lasting positive changes in your coaching? Here are six tips to help you navigate this transition.
Tip #1 – Communicate With the Community
People handle change better when they are informed. Share with your community that you have attended an inspiring course and are excited to introduce new techniques. Explain what will change and how it benefits them. For instance, you might say, “We’re going to do the EMOM differently today so I can provide you with more individual feedback.”
Keeping your members in the loop reduces uncertainty and makes your new actions, behaviors, and attitudes more predictable. Open communication fosters trust and ensures your members understand the reasons behind the changes, making them more likely to support and adapt.
Tip #2 – Approach Changes as Fine Tuning
Think of your coaching practice as a spider’s web with you at the center. The web’s strings and anchor points represent social practices and context. If you try to move the web drastically, it will either become distorted or break entirely.
Instead, make minor, incremental adjustments to the web, slowly shifting it into its new position.
By fine-tuning your coaching practice, you keep changes manageable and aligned with members’ expectations. Over time, these minor adjustments lead to significant, lasting improvements. This approach ensures you do not overwhelm your members with too many changes at once, allowing them to adapt gradually and comfortably.
Tip #3 – Prioritize Changes
Do not try to implement all changes at once. For example, just as you wouldn’t try to change every movement on someone’s snatch at once, trying to change everything for your members in one fell swoop would be similarly overwhelming to them. Implementing changes more gradually will be more effective. Create a list of changes you want to make and score them based on two criteria:
- Ease of Implementation: How easy is it to implement this change? (10 = very easy, 1 = very challenging)
- Positive Impact: How much positive impact will this change have on members? (10 = large impact, 1 = minimal impact)
Multiply these scores for each change. Prioritize the change with the highest value. If there is a tie, choose the one that’s easiest to implement or interests you the most.
This method ensures you focus on impactful and manageable changes, making the transition smoother for you and your members.
Tip #4 – Reflect
Self-reflection is crucial for change. After each session, reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and how you would like to improve it. Whether you jot down your thoughts or think about them during a break, reflection helps you refine your practice.
Consider keeping a coaching journal to document your reflections. This practice allows you to track progress, identify patterns, and make more informed decisions about future changes. Reflecting is a powerful tool that helps you stay mindful of your goals and the steps needed to achieve them.
Tip #5 – Seek Feedback
External feedback offers valuable insights. Focus on specific aspects you are trying to change. Ask targeted questions like, “How often did I give feedback to each member?” Choose the right person for feedback — a fellow coach, a member, or even an outsider. Plan how and when you will receive this feedback. In-person, immediate feedback sessions are often the most effective.
Feedback from others can provide a different perspective on your coaching methods, highlighting areas for improvement that you might have yet to notice. Constructive feedback is not a sign of weakness; it’s a powerful tool for growth and helps you stay on track with your coaching goals.
Tip #6 – Build a Network of Like-Minded Coaches
Surround yourself with coaches who share your coaching ethos. This network provides support, shares experiences, and offers a sense of community. Discuss challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from each other’s experiences. A supportive network can provide encouragement and practical advice, helping you navigate the challenges of implementing changes in your coaching.
Engaging with like-minded coaches also exposes you to new ideas and approaches, broadening your perspective and enhancing your coaching skills. This collaborative environment fosters continuous learning and improvement.
Achieving Lasting Coaching Success
Implementing lasting changes in your coaching is a gradual process. By communicating with your community, fine-tuning your approach, prioritizing effectively, reflecting on your practice, seeking targeted feedback, and building a supportive network, you can overcome resistance and make meaningful improvements. Remember, change takes time, but you can achieve your goals with persistence and the right strategies.
Embrace the process, remain patient, and celebrate small victories along the way. With dedication and the right approach, you will see positive and lasting changes in your coaching practice.
about the author
Farran Mackay is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) with over 30 years of experience as a sports instructor. With a master’s in education and communication and over 10 years of experience developing teachers, Mackay brings a unique perspective to coaching development. She is passionate about supporting coaches to become more effective and efficient in helping their members enhance their health and longevity through CrossFit. Additionally, she is dedicated to creating a sustainable CrossFit ecosystem.
From Inspiration to Implementation: How to Make Coaching Changes Stick