At the core of all the coaching methods I’ve come across, is the importance of maintaining and building the confidence of the person being coached. It’s always just seemed like common sense, until I heard about the concept of learned helplessness.
The impact of learned helplessness is well demonstrated by Dr Charisse Nixon (easy to find on Youtube). She shows how 50% of a group lose confidence when presented with two problems they can’t solve, while the other half of the group are unknowingly given easier problems that build their confidence. When the whole group is given the same 3rd problem to solve, those who have lost belief in themselves are less successful than those who are on a roll.
Put simply, repetitive failure can introduce self-doubt, making it harder to perform normally. We see it all the time in sporting competition. Individuals and teams that get on a roll and seem to get lucky, and others who start badly and just can’t turn it around.
Resilience is a whole other topic and there are good articles into ways to turn the negative around, but for me the take-away is to avoid creating helplessness in the first place.
If your role includes being responsible for the performance of others, here are some strategies to avoid accidentally damaging confidence (and in turn performance).
- Set targets and goals that are realistic and believable
- Make sure you can describe the path to success, I.e. what needs to be done to reach the goal
- Celebrate even the small wins (only real wins, no awards for merely turning up)
- Recognise good performance, even in a losing team
- Be aware of the role your coaching can play in building confidence in others
A great starting point is being aware of your own confidence. Reflect back on what has built your confidence in the past and what kinds of things have introduced a risk of helplessness?
When it comes to getting results through others, a confident coach with empathy goes a long way.
STRATEGY CAPABILITY COACHING 