In a number of recent client leadership meetings I have spent some time working on developing improved coaching skills. One of the topics discussed was, "What do bad coaches do that make them bad?" Here are some of the things we came up with:

1. Tell vs. teach
2. Do vs. help
3. Tell us the answer instead of helping us figure it out ourselves
4. Ignore the "why" and focus solely on the "what"
5. Lack a strong understanding the subject matter themselves (and therefore lack credibility)
6. Create exceptions to the rules
7. Fail to recognize or motivate
8. Have unclear expectations
9. Have general team objectives and expectations (instead of individually oriented)
10. Act in an unethical way

There were many other items, but this list is pretty representative of the issues and actions that can hurt a leader's credibility when it comes to acting as a coach.

A key take-away from this list is this: with the exception of #10, many well-meaning coaches and leaders can find themselves doing these things unintentionally. Like a good salesperson or account manager, they may be doing things well by instinct but when pressured by time and other factors, they may not have time to listen to or trust their instincts. This is especially dangerous when playing the role of a coach, as other people's performance can be affected and the impact on the organization can be multiplied.