Why Coach Exists

Every manager needs training, coaching, and mentoring, most get none.

 

When I was a frontline manager, I was lucky. I had a coach.

He didn’t just tell me what to do, he showed me and coached me as I applied it.
And when things got difficult, or I got it wrong, he was there to back me up and protect me.

 

That’s what most managers are missing.

 

Managers are expected to improve performance, deal with difficult people, and make the right decisions without ever being shown how. That’s why The Raising the Bar Way exists. 

 

This site gives you what I had:

• Training — so you know what to do

• Coaching — so you know how to apply it

• Mentoring — so you are prepared for situations that put your career at risk

• Protection — to forewarn and forearm you, so when the pushback comes, you’re ready for it

 

Let Me Introduce Myself

I’m like you — an ordinary, average manager.

What they’d probably call today an accidental manager.
I didn’t plan to go into management. I just found myself there, right place, right time.

 

At first, I enjoyed it.
The kudos. The sense of power. The responsibility.

But that didn’t last long.

It quickly became clear I’d inherited an underperforming team, with some big performance issues.

What didn’t help was this.

 

I was expected to sort it out without ever being shown how.

 

I remember going to my boss and explaining the problems. His response?

“You’ll pick it up as you go along.”

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When It Starts to Go Wrong

I remember the discomfort.

The moment when the “bad apples” didn’t like being challenged and suddenly I was the problem.

They went to HR. They went to my boss. Accusations started.

Bullying. Unfair treatment.

 

Then came the grievance.

It was a very bad time in my early management career. My boss said he couldn’t get involved.
HR seemed more focused on proving I’d done something wrong than helping me deal with what was actually going on. I felt alone.

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Then I received the outcome letter.

The grievance was upheld.

Why?

Because during the investigation, I admitted I could have done something differently.

That was enough.

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What That Does to You

After that, I was done.

I was hurting. Cautious.
And, if I’m honest, afraid of getting it wrong again.

 

So I did what many managers do. I did nothing. I let the issues continue. I managed around the problems.

My motivation dropped. My confidence dropped. And quietly… so did my self-respect.

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Then Coach Arrived

Everything changed when Coach arrived, my new boss.

 

He recognised the problem straight away and for the first time, someone said what needed to be said.

I nearly fell off my seat when he apologised on behalf of the company for not giving me the training and support I should have received when I was appointed.

No one had ever said that before.

 

Then he made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

He would give me the coaching and support I needed to tackle the issues properly. But he wanted something in return.

My commitment — to stay the course, whatever came back at me.

 

But he made one thing absolutely clear:

If I wasn’t prepared to deal with the issues, I wouldn't be in the job long!

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Stepping Over the Courage Line

I stayed. I learned. I picked up a few more scars along the way. But something changed.

Once he showed me the first steps and I stepped over that courage barrier, everything became easier and my confidence grew.

From that point on, I never looked back.

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What Happened Next

When I became a middle manager, I made a decision. I would do for my managers what had been done for me.

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I coached them. I supported them. I warned them when they were walking into difficult situations.

And over time, I realised something.

 

I didn’t just believe in performance management, I loved coaching managers to do it properly.

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Why This Site Exists

That is why this site exists.

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Not theory. Not generic advice. Not management jargon. A practical way to deal with real performance issues properly. I’ll guide you through it:

What to do. How to do it. What to record. What to say.
And what to expect when you do.

Because one of the biggest things I learned from Coach was this:

 

“Where there is an action, there is a reaction.”

 

And when you raise the bar, that reaction will come. The difference is this time,
you’ll be ready for it.

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