Tom Sheridan - My Career Coaching Philosophy

By Tom Sheridan

We exist to make the world a better place and we do this one person at a time, one team at a time and one organization at a time. Listening to people and truly “hearing” what they have to say is the only way we are going to get to where we need to be.

Being an active, good listener is a key component to my overall Coaching Philosophy. I have always been known at a “good listener”, no matter what situation I was thrown into, people would always tell me that I had a good “ear”. This trait is one I have used to gain trust with customers and clients over the 30+ years in this industry. You can learn so much by listening to a client and most of them love to talk about themselves and their businesses, so let them! Someone told me a long time ago that listening was a skill and the sooner you learn to master it the better off you will be. Listening to our clients is something that has me most fired up as I transition into a coaching and mentoring role.

Truly listening to you as a client and understanding what your needs are will be critical to developing a comprehensive plan. Transitioning into a true Career Coach we can develop a plan for you that includes the essential qualities of great leadership; Clarity, Decisiveness, Courage, Passion, Humility and Empathy! 

As I partner to launch SportsBiz Builders, I thought I would give you some insight on my coaching philosophy

Below are answers to four key questions on my coaching approach:

• What is my motivation for coaching?

  • I think I was destined to be a coach of some kind, since I have had numerous coaches (bosses) from high school, college and through professional life, who had an influence on me. You would think that I would pick up good points from these coaches (bosses) over the years and I have, but the most important lessons learned were from the bad coaches (bosses)! Over the last 40 years I have seen some bad individuals with bad intentions, and I learned what NOT to do! The single most important thing I can do is to develop employee self-worth and truly empower the people that work for you. Give them enough rope to hang themselves…when they do….and they will…you bring the rope in…lesson learned. Watching young kids learn and develop truly motivates me every day! 

• What type of coach do I want to be?

  • I assume that I will fall into old habits and coach the same way that I have always coached. My management style has always been “coach approach”, at the core it is recognized as an important management style. It focuses on developing and maximizing employees’ abilities and talents to achieve the best possible organizational performance. It may be used for individual employees as well as teams. The “coach approach” management style is inquisitive, collaborative, and supportive. The “coach approach” to leadership enables managers to not only be effective in their position, but to motivate their employees to reach beyond their comfort zone and expand their knowledge!

  • As a PR major in college my favorite class was “Small Group processes” exploring the group dynamics of working collectively in small groups. As a result, we are offering Collective Career Coaching cohorts were our clients will learn in a group setting while hopefully developing networks of different people to grow within the industry for years to come!

• Why is coaching the right fit for me?

  • I have always felt the need to “Pay It Forward”. What I mean by this is when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass it on to another person instead. I have been fortunate to be the beneficiary of some great teachers and mentors over the last 30 years and I think we have a responsibility to our industry to help those who are in need. I am excited to launch the next chapter of my career as a coach and mentor with SportsBiz Builders!

• What is it that I would like to achieve with my clients?

  • I want to help kids and adults to re-establish themselves in the industry that I love and have so much want them to succeed in! We will work with you to understand your strengths and weaknesses and develop a personalized plan to help you achieve your goals. We can help you plan your career path, build momentum, and succeed long term in the sports & entertainment industry!

Have a great day and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.