In business and other organizations today we use the terms “boss” or supervisor and “coach” interchangeably. The fact is that there is a world of difference between a boss and a coach. Even if you work on an assembly line, dig ditches by the highway or push paper at the DMV, a coach is preferable to a boss. Here is why.

The boss. There are several key characteristics to the boss.

A boss manages up not down. Bosses look to please their bosses rather than gain the support, admiration and trust of those who work for them.

A boss leads by telling rather than doing. Bosses view themselves as above the fray. They look to those below them to do all the real work. They see themselves as above getting their hands dirty.

A boss worries about his job first. Bosses doing everything they can to protect their own jobs. They use their people as buffers and shields. They would rather lay-off everything below them before they put their own jobs at risk.

A boss listens to those above them and passes the word, selectively to the people who work for them. They see the world from a top down perspective and management it accordingly.

A boss needs to control. Whether it is the flow of paper, calls, e-mails, request or meetings, bosses want and desire everything to go through them. Control is central to their being.

A boss hires people less capable than himself or herself. Bosses fear having an underling outshine them in any way or getting promoted to their level or – heaven forbid – above them.

Finally, a boss limits the training and development of the people under him or her. Bosses want only the most necessary technical or administration training for their people. Development is foreign to the boss.

The coach. There are several essential characteristics to a coach.

A coach manages from bottom to top. In fact, coaches really do not even think in terms of people below and above them. Coaches work to get the most out of the people on their “team” by listening to and working with them to achieve their common goals and objectives together.

A coach takes care of the members of the team first. Rather than worrying about their own job, coaches make sure the members of their team have what they need to be successful. Part of that means serving as a buffer to any force reductions or layoffs, so the members of the team can focus on doing the best job they can every single day. Without a team, there is no need for a coach.

A coach listens to the members of the team. While a lot may come down from above, the coach provides open access to information to all members of the team. Coaches listen to team members as individuals and as a group. Effective coaches take input from the team and apply it as appropriate or pass it to their own coaches depending on the issue and the need.

A coach uses control as a tool selectively. Coaches allow a free flow of information without feeling the need to be traffic cops. They are not threatened by members of their team talking to their own coach or their coach’s coach. By being honest and candid, they tell it like it is to their team and they expect the same in return.

A coach hires the best players they can afford within their budget. Their only fear is hiring someone who is only as good as them. Coaches want and need the best talent on their team. They see an important part of the role as coaches is scouting and hiring the best of the best.

A coach ranks training and development as a top priority. Once coaches hire the best, the mold them to make them even better. Nothing is more gratifying to a coach than seeing their people advance to ever greater heights. They see it not as a threat but as the greatest compliment.

Unfortunately in the workplace of 2006, even though we have been talking about “coaches” rather than “bosses” for almost two decades, they day-to-day behavior reflects an abundance of bosses. It is up to every executive, manager and supervisor to take steps each day to insure they are applying the traits of a coach rather than a boss to make their own team more effective and successful.