Soft Skills & Expectations
Be their lion
Have their back. Guide your team to do the best they can. Support them and remove boundaries. If they shine, you shine.
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Example: Channel the feedback of the partners. If for instance, information gets scattered during a meeting, try solidifying it and make it clear. This will make the students more confident in what they are building!
Protect your team
You'll be protecting your team. From the client, themselves, each other... and from yourself.
Make sure the client knows what to expect, and students get a grasp of what is realistic. Your students will want to build something amazing, but still have a lot to learn.
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Curb their enthusiasm (a little)
Usually, the teams will want to make the client as happy as possible, which can result into overpromising. This mostly comes from a place of enthusiasm — but also a lack of experience. A good rule of thumb, is that an estimated task takes up 3.14 times more time than your team members estimate (refer to the rule of Π or pi). Manage the expectations of your teams and clients into something realistic, and you've done a good job.
Curb your enthusiasm (a little)
It's hard to see someone struggle. That's no reason to pull their laptop from their hands and do it yourself. Use your words, give them examples.
Let your students struggle a little Remember how you learnt to do the stuff you do? By figuring it out yourself and falling flat on your face. It's terrible to see your students do that, though.
Honesty & transparency
Clients might also expect more of the team. It's hard to estimate what a team is capable of. The only way to keep a client happy is to try to keep the scope of your project as realistic as possible and to keep them informed – communicate honest and on a regular base. Keep the milestones of your project as tiny as possible as well, and reevaluate on a weekly base.
When you're a coach but also the partner
The students are going to turn to you when there's an issue. Make sure that they know you're on their side, even though your relationship with the organisation they'll be building for is tighter. You want to make sure they don't overpromise or overwork themselves; because they'll want to do their utter best for you.
Let them do the work
Your students are here to learn. Let them fail and get better at it. See previous point!
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Take care of your significant other(s)
There are other coaches around when you need help. You're not alone, and make sure the other coaches don't feel alone either.
Help other coaches out
If you're a half-time coach, make sure you check in with your other coaches and student coaches.
Keep them up-to-date, and make sure there's a hand-over when someone is not available.
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Sharing is caring
Learnt something new? Got an interesting technique? Or do you need help? Reach out to the other coaches. You'll be amazed of how much you'll learn, and how much fun it is to see your skills flourish by sharing them.
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I have no idea what I'm doing
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It happens to all of us. Sometimes, we have no idea what we're doing, and just roaring into the void. It's okay. We have your back — the organisation and the other coaches are there to help. Just reach out!
Get enough sleep
It gets rowdy sometimes. Sleep, even if everything is on fire — or you'll have a fuse too short to handle the situation. Yes, there will be fire now and then.
If it starts smoking, speak up and we'll take care of you.
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