Welcome back to The Mindset Coach Academy! Today, I am thrilled to sit down with Coach Emma Doyle. I was on her podcast a few weeks ago, and couldn’t wait to bring her here. 

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Emma’s done it all - she’s a high-performance tennis player turned corporate coach, author of “What Makes a Great Coach?: Top 10 Practices of the World’s Best Coaches”, and a sought-after speaker. She recently gave a powerful TEDx talk about women in sports called, “Unleashing Female Potential”. 

The work she is doing is giving coaches what they need to create team culture that is firm, fair, and fun. From corporate leadership to team culture, Emma’s work teaches practical skills that you can take back to your team.

Here are some topics we cover:

This episode has so much in it. I was scribbling notes the whole time. So, grab your notebook, sit back, and enjoy this chat with Coach Emma Doyle. 

Follow Emma:

Listen to the full episode for context, and return to these notes whenever you need them. 

5 Ways People Play Games

Here’s a glance at this episode:

[2:44] Coach Emma describes what her TEDx talk is all about, and outlines the power of the phrase, “next time”. She goes on to explain the importance of age diversity in the workplace.

[5:26] Lindsey asks, “What are some things you want clients to get out of your workshops?” Emma talks about leaders as coaches, how be curious with those you lead, and learning through play.

[8:20] Emma reflects on the moment she realized she needed to adapt her teaching style to coach tough-to-reach athletes. Lindsey asks about how coaches can personalize their coaching while keeping high standards. 

[12:40] “Get the buy in!” Emma urges coaches to define core values with their team. Lindsey applies these ideas to parenting. Emma explains the practical step-by-step process of voting on core values and how to ‘gamify’ the experience. 

[19:19] Emma defines the “5 Ways People Play Games”. She explains, “It’s the difference between pushing your map of the world onto somebody vs pulling out that which lives within them.”

[23:28]  The key is performing with pressure, not performing under pressure. This is the next level of coaching. Emma is concerned for coaches who don’t have the tools to help athletes strengthen their inner voice.

[26:06] Lindsey believes coaches have a resistance to change because change is hard in the beginning. Emma offers her perspective on coach burnout, empowering athletes, and the “power of the pause”.

[30:39] Lindsey asks Emma to share one simple tool for coaches and leaders. Emma teaches her “anchoring” technique [hint: It’s a lot like a tool WE teach!]

[33:55] Emma believes coaches need to ask better questions. She explains the truth about ‘why’ questions and shares some alternatives that will encourage better responses.