I'm looking for a definition for the difference between merely managing a team and coaching team members.

The best way to define these two issues is by looking into the way that most managers manage, and the way that coaches tend to coach.

A manager by nature in the world today tends to be someone who has 'come through the ranks' of an organisation. They are a master of the details of a business, a technical whiz in some way, a person who an organisation thinks should now share their expertise with others. The manager is full of information and knowledge. They are a master of protocol, of how things should be done. However to smart knowledge workers of today, managers in some senses are viewed as roadblocks, as necessary evils, not as resources. The reason for this is that most managers tend to have very poor relationship or human skills. They know how to manage the technical work, but not how to manage people.

The coach by nature is not as focussed on technical information or how things 'should be done'. The coach knows the importance of motivation over information. They are masters not of protocol but of creativity. Their expertise is to NOT get caught up in the detail, but to maintain some distance, and therefore be able to see patterns and add insights into HOW people go about their tasks. When you are lost in what people do it is hard to see how they are doing it. The coach works at a higher level in a sense. A good coach is seen as a resource, as support, as someone to turn to.

What do coaches do that regular manager not do?

Coaches tend to stay out of the detail and focus on higher order tasks such as vision and planning. They go into detail, only they go into detail not about day to day things but about things like purpose, vision, strategies or focus. The coach's role is to help people 'get above' what they are doing and see things from a different vantage point.

Coaches tend to work at a more personal level than managers as well. The coach's role is to help someone develop the habits they need to be successful, personal habits such as how we think, communicate, act, plan, behave, organise, etc. The coach works with the individual and their attitude, their approach, their thinking. These are more personal things than most managers tend to have permission to work on with people.

What are the advantages of coaching?

The advantages of using a coaching style are obvious when you understand how a coach operates. Firstly the coach is committed to helping people come up with their own answers, which empowers the individual significantly. Secondly the coach is rigorously solutions-focused, which brings about positive change more easily. Then the coach is there to deliver positive feedback and encouragement, not to tell people what they are doing wrong, and finally the coach is there to stretch and challenge people. These functions combined have people inspired, focused, committed and well on the path to fulfilling their potential. Coaching is one element of good management that I believe is a real missing in the workplace. However it's not the only style of management required to be effective as a manager. One also needs to know how to direct, how to advise, how to strategise, how to report, how to plan, etc. The role of the coach specifically is useful in the area of developing people. Given the importance of attracting and keeping talent in the workplace, it is essential that managers are masters of this piece. Managers tend to find it easy to strategise, to plan, to report, whereas they struggle a lot with managing performance.

How can a manager learn how to coach?

For most managers learning to coach is like learning to speak a different language. The coach speaks English, however the way they ask questions, the way they listen, the way they phrase things, all occur differently when coaching than in everyday conversations. For example the concept of helping people come up with their own answers rather than giving advice just in itself is a very different way of speaking. So like any new language, learning to coach is not that hard for any reasonably intelligent person, however it takes time and focus. Managers have ingrained habits that get in the way of new approaches. They might resist new styles for fear of losing their edge, they may not be comfortable not been seen as the expert. So there can be a lot of challenges teaching managers to coach, but it can be done. It takes very god role models, very well structured coaching models, a systematic approach, and above all making the whole thing as easy to learn as possible.