USING BENCHMARKING TO BECOME A BETTER COACH

The question: Can you learn to effectively benchmark a coaching session, will that automatically make you a better coach? If I join the ACMC Assist Team and get the benchmark training and practice, how much more effective will I be as a coach?

The answer, generally and overall is yes, benchmark training will help you be a better coach. It is not automatic. Some have learned to benchmark and, from what I can tell, it has not transferred to making their coaching practices better. For one person I think it was because she wanted to focus on the benchmarking skills, rather than the coaching skills. For another, I think he had a block inside in terms of integration and apply-to-self. But for the great majority, when you learn how to benchmark, you take your coaching skills up a notch or two. Why? What explains this?

1) Knowledge. To benchmark effectively, you have to know the coaching skills—and the sub- skills. The simple fact that in benchmarking, you go over the skills repeatedly and learn more about them, what counts, what does not count, etc., you will be more aware of the skills.