Which is your management style? - Coaching Tactics & Tips

The Tannenbaum-Schmidt continuum.

Tells: coach presents the strategy as the final decision.

Sells: coach persuades the players about a strategy.

Consults: coach asks the players for their opinions then decides on the strategy.

Participates: coach involves the players and the strategy is decided on jointly.

Each type of coaching style has its upsides and downsides. It does depend on the level you are coaching and your ability as a coach. The more you are “telling the players”, the greater the emphasis is on the coach to take responsibility for the decisions.

However this is more advantageous for younger or more inexperienced sides. The coach who “participates” will find that the players may be more motivated by the interaction. This participation needs to be genuine otherwise there is a loss of trust.

Best practice from the T-S continuum

Communication of direction is a personal preference based on your skills and abilities and the type of team you have in front of you.

A training session might carry all four main types of style. You are going to want to tell players what drills you are doing to get the session moving and maintain momentum, but you might also consult them on what they are doing wrong with a drill before participating in what might work next time you do this type of drill.