Instructing and Coaching

Over the summer I attended an interesting training course provided by my summer employer, BSM. Continuous professional development keeps my enthusiasm and motivation going in what is a sometimes challenging, but also a very often rewarding, job. The training course was aimed at how to coach experienced individuals to further improve their standards for 'Fleet Driving'. The discussion around the table soon concentrated on the difference between 'Instructing' and 'Coaching'.

It was decided amongst the attendees that 'instruction' is telling somebody what they have to do in an exact fashion in order to achieve a task. For example, there is a procedure that a driving instructor must use to 'teach' a learner driver how to move off from the side of the road safely. Without boring you with the details, it is a rigid, set in stone, bullet-proof method to ensure that they won't do anything dangerous to you or I on the busy public road. If they don't follow this 'taught' sequence, that is examined by the DSA on their driving test, they will not only fail the test, but be a danger on the road.

So what does coaching mean? Coaching helps people learn how to decide on 'when to use', 'how much to use', and what affect 'taught methods' can have on the road. Let's think of an example: an experienced driver running late for work, or dropping their kids off at school. This driver knows how to control the clutch, they know what the traffic light sequence is locally; they know what the speed limit is, and they also know where the local speed cameras are.......The experienced driver doesn't need an instructor to tell them 'how' to drive themselves to work, or drop their kids off at school. So who cares if they drive slightly above the speed limit, drive through amber traffic lights, forget the increased braking distance on wet roads, are lazy with the lack of observation at zebra crossings, and suddenly give in to the urge to get ahead of the annoying boy racer?Blimey, where did that lot come from? But let's be honest here, haven't we all been guilty of one or more of the above? But as a trained coach for 'Fleet Drivers', it is my job to help people deal and react with such scenarios on the road, and as a coach select and match feedback styles and suggestions to their personality. This in turn will help them make their own choice."But Martin, this is a skiing blog, not a driving instructing blog!" I hear you cry. Absolutely, so before your heads explode from my ranting, let's look at instructing and coaching with skiing.

Complete beginners need to be 'taught' several essential skills; balance, grip and steering. They need to be 'taught' the theory and be given the opportunity to try to practise these skills.

These skills, or tools, can then be developed further in order to deal with different snow conditions and gradients. At some point, the skier realises that these skills will work in varying amounts in any snow conditions and gradients.

The skills develop to the point where the skier will then be in a position to be able to choose how to use these skills effectively. For example, Lisa (below) is nicely balanced, with grip, and can choose exactly where she wants to take her line down the piste by steering her feet and skis. So has Lisa been instructed on this piste, or been coached?

Mark, below, is very experienced with skiing on piste but wanted to improve off piste. He was coached on how to use his balance skills, his pressure skills and his steering skills to help him enjoy and master powder skiing in poor visibilty last winter.

There is a subtle but important difference between 'Instructing' and 'Coaching'. The main point about this post though, is that as individuals we can all continue to improve and develop our skills.Martin

P.S. The other evening I was asked if I had experienced any accidents yet this year in the driving school car. "Fortunately not." I replied. The next day however, I met a colleague who unfortunately had; he shall remain nameless. Thankfully both Dave (oops, sorry) and his learner survived unharmed. Thanks Marie for this i-Phone photo!?!

The next post will include some of my favourite photos from last winter.