Coaching is an important part of any team's success. It's essential to understand the different styles of coaching and the pros and cons of each. Here, we'll explore five different types of training styles: Democratic, Authoritarian, Holistic, Autocratic, and Visual. Democratic training gives the team freedom and responsibility, while the coach only intervenes when necessary to keep the process going.
People who receive this type of training can often improve their decision-making and communication skills, as they are encouraged to share their opinions about their decisions and thoughts. This type of training may take longer to see results because it explores all the options for a solution. Authoritarian coaching involves the coach making all the decisions. Clients learn discipline, set goals and work to achieve the results of their goals.
This style can teach people how to stay engaged and disciplined with a task. Coaches establish a specific structure to achieve and achieve a definite goal. Holistic coaching is about creating balance in all parts of decision-making. People who are trained in this style often feel that they have a sense of purpose, because examining all of their choices gives them a broader perspective on their choices.
This training style can teach people relaxation techniques to help them make better decisions and learn to manage stress to produce effective solutions. Autocratic coaching involves the coach telling his clients what they should do, instead of asking them to do something. This can lead to a feeling of maintaining commitment to processes and tasks if they know that they have been successful before. Coaches strive to see excellence in this style.
Visual coaching involves having the coach explain to their individuals what they are supposed to focus on during the session. While the coach gives explicit instructions, he encourages them to achieve their goals and to do their best. This style usually works best in a fast-paced environment because it generates results. A balanced approach that puts agency in the hands of the players, democratic training is an empathetic style that values sportsmanship above all else. When properly implemented, it can facilitate a healthy team culture in which the coach and players make decisions together.
Despite its reputation as a successful training method, as the magazine Swimming World points out, democratic training is not without flaws. An authoritarian and demanding training style often works better situationally than as a consistent practice. With a great capacity for micromanagement and unique control over all creative and practical decisions, autocratic training can be effective, but in the wrong hands it can negatively affect the team's health and environment. Left unchecked, sustained autocratic training can have the opposite effect, making players feel that their coach is bossy and controlling, leading to resentment and reducing motivation when expectations are too high. Also known as delegative leadership, laissez-faire coaching derives its power from trust and personal agency. Considered more of a non-intervention method than other methods, a laissez-faire coach basically gives decision-making power to athletes, with the expectation that they are themselves responsible for training and practice. A healthy laissez-faire strategy as a coach involves taking on the role of advisor or consultant for the team, in which coaches make themselves available to players to ask for help and give them advice when requested. This training style places most of its power in the hands of the players and is based on the expectation and confidence that, if they need anything, they can go to the coach as an open and reliable resource. Laissez-faire coaching is reputed to be a risky style, but as with any form of leadership, it can succeed in the right hands. Some athletes thrive under laissez-faire leadership; it's up to the coach to identify when to use it. A team of players with a strong will and high agency can make it work, but if players show signs that they need additional help or guidance to stay motivated, coaches may need to change their style. If a coach refuses to change style when necessary, this could lead a team to lack discipline, focus and consistency in its performance. Holistic training encompasses the whole person, recognizing that each athlete is first a human being and a player second, and prioritizes growth accordingly.
A positive holistic relationship can be powerful for players.
