In the words of Koontz, “management is the art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organised groups”. To function in a group, the team must be bound together by a common objective. A coach is one who identifies the goals and guides the person as an individual and as a team to the defined objective. He moves and directs the protégée with an objective in mind. He may be a coach to an individual or a whole team.

The role of a manager as a coach plays a crucial role in the attainment of the objectives. He identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the individual as a person and as a member of a team and utilises this information to make the necessary rectifications and improvements. When an individual gets recruited in an organisation the first time, he is naïve and confused. The manager’s role as a teacher who helps the individual in the recognition of his strengths and acceptance of his weaknesses is crucial as this helps the individual in the later part of his career. The experiences acquired by the coach helps to recognise the positive and negative aspects of the individual. His experiences can be used to bring the individual in sync with the team, making him stronger and capable of coming up with solutions during the crucial times. The protégée learns to stand independently and his contributions can be an added strength to the team.

The coach moves ahead with the objective in mind. He drives the protégée to the goal and helps him to develop those skills that are required for the attainment of the desired objective. The manager will guide the individual through each and every process performed by him by giving his comments. The protégée must be applauded for every commendable work done by him, and rectified of every mistake. The appraisal system followed in an organisation is another way of guiding the individual. The evaluation systems generally have certain criteria which provide the tool for comparing individual performance in relation to the expected results. The one-to-one meetings held between the manager and his subordinate is a powerful tool to understand where one stands in an organisation. A good manager keeps track of individual performance and uses this information for aiding the individual to negate his limitations and strengthen his assets. The appraisal meetings can further help in assessing the individual by observing his body movements and facial expressions. The emotions of the protégée must be respected and he should be asked to voice his opinion on the evaluation rating. His suggestions on further improvements must be evaluated. Involving an individual in any discussion adds to his self esteem.

A coach is looked upon with trust by the protégée. In case he is unable to clarify any questions put before him, the coach should inform the same and revert to the protégée with the solution once he gets the answer. This improves the confidence one has on the coach as a mentor and guide.

A manager should aim at coaching his team to success. A well versed confident team can excel in producing quality results, thereby paving the way to the success of the company.