Chapter 3. The Coaching Role: Inspiring and Motivating

Catch people doing something right.

History buffs will agree that a prime example of coaching is Henry Kaiser, an industrialist. He thought possibilities continually surpassed what others thought couldn’t be done. Historians attribute winning World War II to his inspiring and motivating management of shipbuilding crews. He took ordinary people who thought it took three months to build a ship and said, “Fine, give me one in four-and-a-half days.” Instead of monetary rewards, he broke his workers into teams and had them compete with each other. When told there wasn’t enough steel for the ships, he built the first Pacific steel plant. When told there wasn’t enough magnesium, he built a magnesium plant. His teams produced 1,466 ships for the war effort. He led a consortium of builders and constructed Hoover Dam in two years, under schedule. Average performers and extraordinary results!