Odds are, you remember a coach from somewhere in your past. Perhaps it was a track coach who pushed you to run faster or jump farther than you thought was possible, or a swim coach who pushed you to the edge of your endurance. Good memories or bad, these are powerful reminders of the influence a single person can have in the lives of many others.

The other roles you adopt as a manager tend to focus on each individual's needs and capabilities. The role of coach, however, also requires you to bring people of diverse skill levels and backgrounds together to work as a unified team, in such a way that the synergy among them generates a product or result that surpasses each individual's abilities. Sounds like a tall order? It is! But it's really nothing more than ongoing reinforcement of what employees are doing and learning.

An effective coach does a lot of things:

• Provides timely and specific feedback. “Good job!” feels good but says little; “You really nailed the point in your proposal!” lets an employee know what was good.

• Establishes standards and goals that are high enough to make employees stretch, but not so high that they're impossible to reach

• Tells the truth with kindness and caring — but still tells the truth

• Shares ideas and offers suggestions but resists telling employees how to do things

• Teaches people how to cook rather than take them out to dinner, metaphorically speaking

Good coaches inspire loyalty and respect, characteristics that are increasingly rare in the workplace. How do you become a good coach? The most effective way is to watch a good coach in action. If you feel that your workplace is deplorably lacking in such role models, attend some high school or college athletic events. You'll see good coaches, bad coaches, and mediocre coaches, and you'll see how their teams respond to their methods.