I'm a coach. My new boss got onto me for sitting down.

[Kaiten]

I recently got a job as a gymnastics coach in a new city.

 

My boss is an old man and honestly, he is convinced that he holds a lot of unique and novel philosophies and convictions. I may not have been clear in telling him just how experienced I am in this field.

 

I admit that today I sat down for most of the day, but I was active in teaching and giving corrections, especially during the second half.

 

After work, my boss came over to me and said that sitting down "would not work" and that he wouldn't tolerate it. That would be fine, except I thought that a coaches first priority was to facilitate learning? The students enjoy me very much and often tell me so (and I have a great reputation with parents).

 

I guess what I'm wondering is: if I were a terrible coach, who rarely participated, but stood up all the time, would he think better of me?

 

Surely an old man with as much experience and 'knowledge' as he has could see how irrelevant this is?

 

I plan to abide by his rules either way, but isn't this a bit old-fashioned and irrelevant?

[GemmaUK]

I agree with your boss.

 

Part of being a coach is also to be involved and interactive - which means moving around.

 

I recall going to a fitness class one time where the instructor taught the routine and then sat in the corner of the room watching and calling out to various people. I never went back.

[CC12]

I guess what I'm wondering is: if I were a terrible coach, who rarely participated, but stood up all the time, would he think better of me?

 

I think maybe you're taking it a little too far. Your boss giving you a pretty simple instruction does not mean he thinks you're terrible. It sounds like he gave you a reasonable direction in a not disrespectful manner.

 

I say it was reasonable because I would not want to see any coach sitting for most of the day, unless s/he were injured or had a good reason. It just looks bad.

 

I plan to abide by his rules either way, but isn't this a bit old-fashioned and irrelevant?

 

It's absolutely relevant. Perception has a lot to do with any job (even volunteer positions.) If you see a cop eating a donut, or a waiter leaning on the counter talking to his friends, no matter how good they are at their job, they look bad in that moment. You shouldn't fault your boss for asking that you appear as though you're doing your best.

[Kaiten]

If you see a cop eating a donut, or a waiter leaning on the counter talking to his friends, no matter how good they are at their job, they look bad in that moment. You shouldn't fault your boss for asking that you appear as though you're doing your best.

 

I'm not entirely against it. I can see that perception has a lot to do with it. I've still said that I get tons of positive feedback from parents. And sitting down doesn't inherently mean not being interactive. It really doesn't. The person above mentioned a fitness teacher who sat in a corner. Obviously, parents and students wouldn't like me as much if I were doing that. Me and that trainer are not nearly the same.

 

Again, I don't necessarily disagree with my boss, but I have sort of devoted my life to shattering conventional wisdom when it's unhelpful, misguiding, or wrong.

[Kaiten]

Once again, I don't necessarily disagree with my boss, but my compliance with it doesn't make it true.

 

I should mention that I worked at another gym for a long time. If my hands weren't physically helping someone, then I was probably sitting down. At that gym, parents and student alike "adored" me according to what people said and I have several texts from my boss saying how much their child loves being in my classes. I can't imagine my old boss coming to me and saying, "You know, Kaiten, these kids really love you. They love how you teach. The parents love you and some kids want to bring their friends now. But when you sit down, I wonder if you're worth keeping."

 

 

It's like judging a book by its cover. It works all the time, except when it doesn't. And when it doesn't, I wish people wouldn't try to tell me it did. That's all.

[Kaiten]

To be fair, my new boss doesn't know me at all yet. And what I am doing is what a lazy employee would do.

[d0nnivain]

If he signs your paycheck & wants you to stand, stop sitting. You admit that lazy coaches sit. If you really want to sit & do things your way, open your own gym. Until then, he's the boss. If you don't like his way of doing things get a new job but don't come into his business & tell him how to run it.

[hotgurl]

Once again, I don't necessarily disagree with my boss, but my compliance with it doesn't make it true.

 

I should mention that I worked at another gym for a long time. If my hands weren't physically helping someone, then I was probably sitting down. At that gym, parents and student alike "adored" me according to what people said and I have several texts from my boss saying how much their child loves being in my classes. I can't imagine my old boss coming to me and saying, "You know, Kaiten, these kids really love you. They love how you teach. The parents love you and some kids want to bring their friends now. But when you sit down, I wonder if you're worth keeping."

 

 

It's like judging a book by its cover. It works all the time, except when it doesn't. And when it doesn't, I wish people wouldn't try to tell me it did. That's all.

 

why do you need to sit? A lot of jobs don't permit sitting.

[Kaiten]

I don't need to sit at all. The only thing that I have a problem with is when someone says the phrase "Sitting down == not being interactive/productive" is true. Because it isn't.

 

I get the part about, "oh this is a business and my way or the highway." I get that.

[stillafool]

Why were you sitting down if you don't need to?

[Kaiten]

Why were you sitting down if you don't need to?

 

Because on that day my stomach was hurting like f#ck haha. It's not like I actively think about sitting down. But there are plenty of times where I coach very effectively, and I did happen to be sitting. Big deal, I say.

[Qboro90]

Anytime you have a new job or are starting a career or are in the first few years working somewhere.... You do what the boss says even if you don't agree with it.

 

You might be the greatest gymnastics coach in the world... But you haven't earned that respect and reputation yet and by sitting down you are making yourself look lazy and not invested in your job... Even if that's not the case. I find it strange that you would even think that you have a argument here. Think about it. You're a athletic coach and you're not even standing up during your classes? Cmon.

 

When your team wins the state championship then you can sit down from 9-5... Until then... Get vertical and show your boss you aren't going to hassle him on such common sense ideologies.

[d0nnivain]

Because on that day my stomach was hurting like f#ck haha. It's not like I actively think about sitting down. But there are plenty of times where I coach very effectively, and I did happen to be sitting. Big deal, I say.

 

Did you try saying to your boss, I'm sorry you saw me sitting. I only sat because I wasn't feeling well. I didn't want to call in sick & I think I was still being effective. If you want me to stand I will.

[xxoo]

No matter how effective you are while sitting, you would undoubtedly be more effective coaching while up and out of the chair.

[SoleMate]

The boss is always right. Also, I think you could get a lot more slack for your sore tummy if you were frank with your boss and agreed to stand almost all the time, but asked for a break on that one day.....rather than turning this into a "who, deep down, is thinking about this question the right way and overall just has the superior ideas?" Because I sense you're headed to that latter place and it's not a place of career success.

 

IME (and I have 3+ decades), the more I make it clear to my boss that I am dedicated to getting his/her goals achieved in roughly the way he/she wants, with greatest respect for his/her position, the more autonomy, choice, and $$$ I get.

 

You and your boss ultimately have very similar goals, right? To be successful in coaching gymnastics, to achieve great customer satisfaction and employee morale, to expand the business and make it profitable, to increase enrollment? Look for the common ground and work with your boss. And stand up while you're coaching, it is the standard of the occupation.

[whichwayisup]

Because on that day my stomach was hurting like f#ck haha. It's not like I actively think about sitting down. But there are plenty of times where I coach very effectively, and I did happen to be sitting. Big deal, I say.

 

Why not just tell your boss that? Minus the f*,ck part of course! Just say I had really bad gas and cramping it was easier to sit and than stand. Trust me if you'd said that he wouldn't have known wtf to say afterwards!!

[Kaiten]

I didn't tell him at the time because I sort of like "recording" "incidents" with leadership in my mind, to keep track of whether or not a person is worth building a career under/alongside. Also, I did already mention that I've sat on the job before, some gyms allow it, some don't. It's not entirely unacceptable and not some industry standard so how was I to know?

[Kaiten]

The boss is always right. ....rather than turning this into a "who, deep down, is thinking about this question the right way and overall just has the superior ideas?" Because I sense you're headed to that latter place and it's not a place of career success.

 

IME (and I have 3+ decades), the more I make it clear to my boss that I am dedicated to getting his/her goals achieved in roughly the way he/she wants, with greatest respect for his/her position, the more autonomy, choice, and $$$ I get.

 

You aren't far off. But you should know that my entire life I've been told that I was dead wrong on things when I was completely right. I've had a lot of leaders vie for my absolute loyalty and respect right at the door, and then had it stepped on. And the thing is, SoleMate, I'd have gotten all the spoils you've received had I simply stuck around. But those things (excluding autonomy) are not what I want to build my character around.

 

I've chosen instead to make my life around siding with the right idea. If me humbly stating a fact is offensive to the man over me, then I don't want to be under him. I understand this is not popular now.

 

But somebody has to create this world we are living in.

[d0nnivain]

I didn't tell him at the time because I sort of like "recording" "incidents" with leadership in my mind, to keep track of whether or not a person is worth building a career under/alongside. Also, I did already mention that I've sat on the job before, some gyms allow it, some don't. It's not entirely unacceptable and not some industry standard so how was I to know?

 

So you in essence "tested" your boss & now you are upset because he failed your test?

 

 

Just open your own gym already so you can do things your way.

[ZHguy]

I don't need to sit at all. The only thing that I have a problem with is when someone says the phrase "Sitting down == not being interactive/productive" is true.

 

You're right in that respect, your boss was getting at you the wrong way. However, he's just old-fashioned and so is generalizing. But he's completely right in saying (or implying) that you should be more interactive and be moving around more.

 

I didn't tell him at the time because I sort of like "recording" "incidents" with leadership in my mind, to keep track of whether or not a person is worth building a career under/alongside.

 

Well of course he's going to fail your test if you don't make him understand your cramp situation that day. I think there are less tedious was of getting an understanding of what type of boss your boss is. Such as, trying to work with him whilst making observations instead of creating obstacles and seeing how he deals with it (and if anyone should be testing, shouldn't it be him – your boss – who should be doing that to you?)

[Kaiten]

(and if anyone should be testing, shouldn't it be him – your boss – who should be doing that to you?)

 

I don't test people at all. I simply think of it as awareness. For example, if my friend wrongs me, yeah I'll be mad, but that's not something I record to bring up later -- rather I try to forget it.

 

But when you are still forming first impressions, I think it's key to take note of what a person says and does, particularly to see if they are the kind of person who says a lot about themself in the beginning. I do that to see if their self-perception is accurate also.

 

There's no malicious intent behind it.

[Kaiten]

So you in essence "tested" your boss & now you are upset because he failed your test?

 

 

Just open your own gym already so you can do things your way.

 

Or just go back to the old one I worked at right? Because I've already said twice that they made no big deal of sitting

[shoplocal]

You've gotten some pretty solid feedback on this thread -- you've also displayed a fair amount of defensiveness and egotism. No shade, as I recognize the same behavior in myself. However, it's not good behavior. You should really work on your feelings of superiority. The parents may love you, but do they love you enough to support a gym you'd open yourself? If not, that's not the sort of laurels you want to rest on.

 

Also, regarding the sitting -- I'm as fat and non-athletic as they come, and still don't understand why or how you'd sit as a gymnastics coach. As lard-butted as I am, I dash around to the fastest of my ability simply working in an office, to get my job done; it's strange to me that you could instruct people in tumbling and flipping without getting up and touching them and interacting directly with them. You've at least conceded that your boss is the boss and that's great, but if you're as serious about your career as you think you are, you may want to question whether you're sitting out of stubborn egotism, or you're not as physically fit for the job as you think you are.

[MuddyFootprints]

I spent a lot of time in the gym. Elite gymnast parent and board executive. I wouldn't tolerate a coach sitting while training was in session. Not a chance.

[GunslingerRoland]

If it was just for a day or so, while you were experiencing a physical problem, you should have said to your boss, about the pain and that you'd be able to work through it, but you'd have to sit for some of it.

 

 

But I'm with the majority here, you may be a great teacher, but honestly I don't understand how a gymnastics coach could be fully effective sitting half of the day.