How to Choose a Coach for Your Ops Manager, Service Manager or Team Leader: A Practical Checklist for Business Owners
About the Author: Ashley Thomson
When owners ask me how to choose a business coach for their operations manager, service manager or team leader, they are usually at a familiar crossroads. The business has grown, the workload has increased, and the owner is carrying too much of the operational load. The manager is capable but inconsistent. They need to step up, take more ownership and lead their team with confidence. That shift rarely happens on its own. It needs structured development, accountability, and commercial guidance that align with the realities of construction, the trades, and manufacturing.
In this article, I explain how to choose a management coach who can genuinely lift the performance of your key people. I draw on what I see every week at Tenfold Business Coaching, where we work with ops managers, service managers, project managers, and supervisors across the industries we specialise in. If you are looking for a management coach who can deliver measurable improvements in performance, reliability, and leadership, this guide will help you make a commercially sound decision.
Why choosing the right management coach matters
The right manager coaching program can change the trajectory of your business. The wrong one wastes time, money and momentum. When you invest in coaching for an ops manager or service manager, you are not buying motivation or inspiration. You are buying capability. You are buying better decisions, stronger communication, improved planning and more consistent execution.
In construction trades, residential building, commercial maintenance and fabrication, the manager is the hinge point between the owner and the frontline. If they are unclear, reactive or overwhelmed, the whole business feels it. If they are confident, structured and accountable, the business becomes easier to run. That is why choosing the right leadership coach for managers is a strategic decision, not a nice-to-have.
How to choose a business coach who understands operational reality
When owners ask me how to choose a management coach, I always start with one principle. The coach must understand the operational environment your manager works in, and not at a theoretical level. It must be understood at a practical, day-to-day, commercially grounded level.
A coach who has never dealt with scheduling constraints, client variations, supplier delays, field staff issues or production bottlenecks will struggle to guide a manager through them. Your manager needs someone who can help them prioritise, plan and communicate in the real world. They need a coach who knows what good looks like in a trade or manufacturing environment.
At Tenfold, our management and leadership coaching is built around operational improvement. We work with managers who run service teams, installation crews, fabrication workshops and project delivery units. That experience matters because it shapes the coaching conversations. It keeps the development practical and aligned with business outcomes.
What to look for when you want to find a management coach for employees
When you are choosing a management coach for employees, look for someone who can bridge three gaps. The first is the capability gap. The second is the confidence gap. The third is the accountability gap.
The capability gap is about skills. Many managers in trades and manufacturing have grown through the tools or through technical roles. They know the work but not the management. They need structured development in planning, delegation, communication, performance management and commercial thinking.
The confidence gap is about mindset. A manager who has never been coached before often doubts their authority or hesitates to make decisions. A good coach helps them build the confidence to lead, not just coordinate.
The accountability gap is about consistency. Even capable managers can drift without structure. Coaching provides the rhythm, check-ins, and expectations that keep them on track.
A strong manager coaching program addresses all three. It gives your manager the tools, confidence, and accountability to step up.
Coaching for ops manager roles requires commercial clarity
Coaching for ops manager roles is different from coaching for general leadership. An operations manager is responsible for throughput, scheduling, resource allocation, workflow and delivery. They need to understand the commercial impact of every decision. They need to know how to protect margin, manage labour efficiency and maintain service levels.
When choosing a coach for an ops manager, look for someone who can talk numbers as comfortably as they talk people. They must be able to help your manager understand job costing, utilisation, capacity planning and operational KPIs. Without that commercial grounding, coaching becomes vague and disconnected from business performance.
In our business coaching work with owners, we often see the difference within weeks. Once an ops manager understands the commercial levers, they start making better decisions. They stop firefighting and start planning. They become a genuine asset to the owner.
Coaching for service manager roles needs a customer lens
Service managers operate in a different rhythm. They deal with reactive work, client expectations, scheduling pressure and field staff performance. Coaching for service manager roles must focus on communication, prioritisation and service delivery consistency.
A coach working with a service manager must understand how to balance responsiveness with profitability. They must help the manager set expectations with clients, manage technician performance and maintain service standards even when the workload spikes.
When choosing a coach for a service manager, look for someone who can help them build structure into a role that often feels chaotic. The right coach helps them shift from reactive to proactive, stabilising the entire service department.
How to choose a management coach who can work with your leadership style
Every owner has a leadership style. Some are direct. Some are hands-off. Some are highly operational. Some are strategic. When choosing a management coach, make sure they can work with your style rather than against it.
A good coach aligns the manager with the owner’s expectations. They help the manager understand what success looks like in your business. They reinforce the standards you want upheld. They support the culture you want built.
This alignment is one of the reasons owners choose to work with a business coach who understands the dynamics of owner-led companies. The coaching is not generic. It is tailored to the business and the leadership environment.
How to choose a management coach who can deliver measurable outcomes
Coaching must produce results. When you invest in a manager coaching program, you should expect measurable improvements. These might include better planning, fewer errors, improved communication, stronger team performance, reduced rework, better scheduling, improved client satisfaction or more consistent delivery.
Ask the coach how they measure progress. Ask what outcomes you should expect. Ask how they will keep your manager accountable. A strong coach will have clear answers.
At Tenfold, we track progress against operational KPIs and behavioural improvements. Owners see the shift in performance because it shows up in the numbers and in the day-to-day running of the business.
How to choose a business coach who can coach both the manager and the owner
The most effective coaching relationships involve both the manager and the owner. The coach works with the manager on capability and confidence. They work with the owner on expectations, delegation and communication. This creates alignment and removes friction.
If you want your manager to step up, you also need to create the space for them to step into. A good coach helps you do that. They help you hand over responsibility in a structured way. They help you build trust in your manager’s capability.
This is where management and leadership coaching become a strategic advantage. It strengthens the whole leadership structure, not just the individual manager.
How to choose a management coach who understands growth stages
A manager in a five-person team needs different coaching from a manager in a thirty-person team. A business doing two million in revenue faces different operational pressures than one doing ten million. When choosing a coach, make sure they understand the growth stage your business is in.
A coach who has worked with businesses at your scale will know the common bottlenecks, typical people issues, and operational challenges. They will know what needs to change now and what can wait. They will help your manager grow at the right pace.
How to choose a management coach who can build long-term capability
Coaching is not about fixing one issue. It is about building long-term capability. When choosing a coach, look for someone who can develop your manager over time. Someone who can help them grow into a stronger leader, not just a better coordinator.
A strong coaching program builds habits, systems and thinking patterns that last. It helps your manager become more independent, more confident and more commercially aware. That is the kind of development that pays dividends for years.
The practical checklist for choosing the right coach
When owners ask me for a practical checklist, I keep it simple. Choose a coach who:
- Understands your industry
- Can work with your leadership style
- Can deliver measurable outcomes
- Can build capability, confidence and accountability
- Can support both you and your manager
- Has a proven track record in trades, construction and manufacturing
If you follow that checklist, you will choose a coach who can genuinely lift your manager’s performance and strengthen your business.
The next step for owners ready to invest in their managers
If you are ready to develop your ops manager, service manager or team leader, the next step is a conversation. At Tenfold, we specialise in leadership coaching for your managers in owner-led businesses. Our coaching is practical, commercially grounded, and tailored to the realities of the trades, construction, and manufacturing.
If you want to work with a business coach who can help your managers step up, improve performance and take more ownership, I invite you to reach out. Your managers can grow. Your business can run more smoothly, and you can get back the time and headspace you need to lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the risk of choosing the wrong management coach?
The main risk is wasted time and no improvement in performance. A coach who does not understand operational environments in trades or manufacturing will struggle to deliver practical outcomes.
When is the right time to start coaching a manager?
Start when the manager is stretched, inconsistent or taking on responsibilities beyond their current capability. Early coaching prevents issues from becoming embedded.
How much should I expect to invest in a manager coaching program?
Investment varies based on scope and duration, but the return is measured in improved productivity, reduced rework, stronger communication and better team performance.
What systems or preparation does my business need before starting coaching?
You need clarity on expectations, access to operational data and a willingness to support the manager through the development process. No major system changes are required.
How does Tenfold help managers step up effectively?
We provide structured management and leadership coaching that builds capability, confidence and accountability. Our coaching is tailored to the operational realities of trades, construction and manufacturing.
