by Gary Reinecke | May 6, 2018 | Church Growth, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development, Personal Development |
What lesson can we learn from the best coaches in the world?
What do world-class; truly world-class coaches do that set them apart?
Let’s take a look at the world of professional sports and assess what coaches at the highest level do that translates into the ministry coaching. For instance, one of the most successful football coaches in European club football is Zinedane Zidane of Real Madrid. Not only was he one of football’s greatest players of his generation; but now is approaching his team’s third European Championship – in a row. A feat that has only been achieved by Bayern Munich from 1974-1976.
For our purposes, what can we extract from what Zidane does that applies to how we approach coaching disciplemakers and leaders?
First, Zidane understands the game.
Second, he knows his players.
Third, Zidane makes the right decisions at the right time.
I realize that I am making a leap to suggest that coaching in the sport’s context can cross-over to coaching in a ministry context. But aren’t these worth consideration?
Let’s take that first one today – Understands the game. Zidane knows what, how and when to makes adjustments so that his teams score, defend and close-out games. What you also sense from Zidane is, he knows how to handle defeat.
For instance, last week Real Madrird played Bayern Munich in the European Cup Semi-Final in a home and away series. In the first leg in Munich, Real Madrid went one goal down early in the match. Zidane made changes to the squad and they fought back, away from home and won the match, 2-1. In the home series it was Real Madrid that proved their superiority once again with a convincing win, thanks to a critical mistake from Bayern’s goalkeeper.
When coaching disciplemakers and leaders, it is imperative we understand the “game”. What I am suggesting is that we must understand the process of making a disciple; and the process of developing a leader; so that we will know how to help people:
- make adjustments
- do what is required to advance
- handle set-backs.
These are just some of the complexities of the “game” that we are asked to play as we coach disciplemakers & leaders.
Here are three questions for your reflection:
- What developmental process (disciplemaking & leader development) has worked for you in the past?
- How do you engage people in a developmental process?
- What would make the process reproducible?
I have found the two coaching resources below helpful to define the pathway for disciplemaking & leader development:
- Making Disciples Storyboard
- Leadership Multiplication Pathway
by Gary Reinecke | Apr 18, 2018 | Coach Training, Leader Development, Personal Development, Uncategorized |
Last week I introduced three virtues of a coachable person based on Patrick Lencioni’s book entitled: The Ideal Team Player. The three virtues: Hungry-Humble-Smart are also wonderful traits of a coachable person. I will address each of these in the upcoming blogs beginning with the trait of a “hungry” person.
In case you missed it, Pep Guardiola led Manchester City to the English Premiership title last weekend. To no one’s surprise, the club completed the feat with 6 games remaining in the season. This gives them the chance to accumulate the most points ever during the course of a single season – and chances are, “Pep” will see his team reach that goal.
Beyond his desire to win is a relentless thirst to learn and be a student of the game so that he can find new ways to surprise his opponents. He is regarded as THE BEST manager in the game of football (soccer) today – and perhaps of all time. *He was the third of four children born to Valenti Guardiola, a bricklayer, and Dolors Sala and raised in a working-class home with solid family principles and a clear sense of dignity. His unquenchable thirst drives him to succeed, challenge his players and feed the wild beast within.
*If you are interested in reading more about Pep Guardiola here is the link to an article highlighting his journey that created his incredible appetite and work ethic.
When identifying leaders to coach, having a hunger to learn, continually improve and achieve, is critical to a fruitful coaching relationship. Nothing is more inspiring than a person who has the desire, that drive and grit to grind it out when hard work is required. This hunger will drive the agenda for many a coaching relationship.
Consider the people you are currently developing, assess each by their willingness to word hard using a 3-point scale
- Low = lacks drive
- Medium = solid work ethic
- High = crushes it at every opportunity
Now consider people you want, or should be developing, using the same scale.
What new insights do you have?
If you would like to process this further, please e-mail office@infocusnet.org to schedule a complimentary, 25 minute coaching conversation with Gary Reinecke.
by Gary Reinecke | Mar 14, 2018 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development |
Leaders want to know what is different about coaching.
I was asked this question recently and I gave my standard answers – click here. I like the illustration of wearing hats. When I am using a coach approach I have my “coaching hat” on. But when the focus shifts to another approach like counselor, adviser, teacher or mentor; I should be aware the leader may not see the shift they are asking me to make OR, that they may need help finding the assistance they really need OR, explain that I am willing to switch my “coaching” hat for some other hat.
The clearer we can be, the more confident people become when the shift occurs during a conversation. This is especially helpful when using a coach approach in disciplemaking and church planting/multiplication to avoid confusion, for the coach and the person being coached. I found the chart illustrated in Sending Well: A Field Guide to Great Church Planter Coaching by Dino Sinesi – to be extremely helpful to make the distinctions between coaching and other people-helping approaches. He breaks down the different roles in three categories: Function, Key Word & Scripture.
Here are the Roles with the Function and Key Word describing the outcome each role provides:
- Counselor: ER Doctor – Relief
- Advisor: Auto Mechanic – Solutions
- Teacher: Librarian – Information
- Mentor: Personal Trainer – Imitation
- Coach: Taxi Driver – Service
Reflect on these for a moment.
Below are three questions to help you clarify what approach is needed, and if you need to change your “coaching hat”…
- What kind of assistance is the leader/team asking for in this moment?
- Are you the best person to provide that type of help?
- If not, how can you help them find it?
by Gary Reinecke | Mar 4, 2018 | Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development, Personal Development |
What is the difference?
In his book Sending Well, Dino Senesi differentiates the unique ways coaches and mentors, or consultants, operate: Coaches “Draw Out” while Mentors “Pour In”.
If you find your-self desiring to help disciples, or disciplemakers you are coaching by “drawing out” the best path forward, then you might want to explore the upcoming Disciplemaking Collective.
We will give you a sneak-peak of what to expect in the Disciplemaking Collective, meet the Disciplemaking Collective Training Team and have a chance to interact on the questions you need answered.
Disciplemaking Collective Overview WEBINAR
Can you block-out 35 minutes on March 5 @ 2:30pm PST/5:30pm EST for this important FREE informational webinar to learn more about the Disciplemaking Collective?
Please register here to confirm your spot and write “Disciplemaking Collective Overview” in the Message box. Click Disciplemaking Collective Overview Login to enter the webinar.
Thank you for your continued passion and commitment to developing the healthiest, disciple-making movements possible. We’re looking forward to supporting you in every way we can.
The Disciplemaking Coaching Collective Training Team!
Gary Reinecke – Church Health Coach Facilitator
Daniel Bethel – Missionary & Disciple-Making Catalyst
by Gary Reinecke | Feb 12, 2018 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development |
Developing followers of Christ is like two rails of a train track. First, disciplemaking is the strategic side of helping a person follow Jesus. Second, coaching is the relational side of helping a person follow Jesus.
Coaching has evolved from an intuitive activity to a science. Discipleship sits in a similar continuum with “organic” and “programmic” approaches to spiritual strategy offering different perspectives on relational development. Combining effective coaching with a sound approach to discipleship often yields amazing results, with many individuals guided by this philosophy ultimately developing into followers of Jesus.
After listening to many leaders over the course of my career, I have discovered that coaching and disciplemaking perfectly complement one another.
What does it take to become a Disciplemaking Coach?
Listening to the Holy Spirit and asking powerful, thought provoking questions is central to the Disciplemaking Coach.
Here are two rails the Disciplemaking Coach rides:
1. The Developmental Rail
The Disciplemaking Rail using the Storyboard – the developmental path a person navigates on the discipleship journey.
2. The Coaching Rail
The Coaching Rail using the 5Rs – the path a coach travels as they interact with a disciple(s).
Recently, my family and I were sharing a meal with some new friends. The question of spirituality came up. My natural urge to offer my perspectives was managed by my more powerful desire to help these new friends take the next step on their spiritual pilgrimage to Jesus. Instead of sharing my nuggets of gold, I listened and asked questions. By allowing our friends space to discover the truth of Jesus for themselves, the conversation resulted in an invitation to another meal, where we will continue to explore the questions that matter most.
The Disciplemaking Collective is designed to give attention to both rails by providing:
1. Real-time learning to help you navigate the developmental path a person travels on their discipleship journey
2. Coach-skill development based on a Online Coach Assessment you administer with at least one disciple you have coached in the past.
Save the date! Please block-out 55 minutes on March 5 @ 2:30pm PST/5:30pm EST in your calendars for this important informational webinar to learn more about the Disciplemaking Collective.
Thank you for your commitment to make more & better disciples; by creating the healthiest church environments possible.
by Gary Reinecke | Dec 5, 2017 | Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development, Personal Development |
I was coaching a leader recently and asked him what he is learning about himself. He paused, then shared:
I am learning the importance of taking time to slow down, reflect and see the progress I’ve made.
It is interesting, the more we “advance” as a species, the more we seem to need time and space to reflect.
Further, he went on to say:
Our coaching time together is the only time I slow down and reflect.
Why do you think that this is the case?
My hunch is that our fast-paced society is not conducive to slowing down and reflection. I can use all sorts of excuses, but I hold to the truth, the things I value are the things I actually do! One of my goals is to re-think my rythms for 2018.
Here is a helpful resource to learn how to manage the internal urges that we all have, to stay busy and in a non-reflective state. The Emotional Intelligence profile will give you and those you coach a starting point on addressing this important area. I’ve used this assessment on numerous occasions and it oftentimes kick-start a fruitful conversation on ways to be more self-aware to the need to be more reflective.
Check out InFocus Collectives 2018:
Collectives create the time and space for leaders to slow down, reflect – then arrive at new ways of thinking and doing.
10% discount for registrations prior to January 1, 2018
