Who are your people being?

What really makes your organisation tick? It’s the people of course. But not just what they do, but who they are being.

From our work with clients, we see these conversations fall into three dominant modes: players, commentators, and coaches. These personas are often unconsciously adopted by people across the business. The balance of these mindsets has a direct effect on performance, culture, and results.

The Player

The player’s mindset is grounded in the present. They are focused on getting the job done today, making the next move to drive things forward.

Players are results-oriented and highly motivated. Their conversations are centred on action and delivery. They are the engine of progress, but sometimes they lack confidence, perspective, or vision. Without support, they can become stuck in the short-term, missing wider opportunities.

With the right coaching and inspiration, Players can be unleashed to deliver extraordinary impact.

The Commentator

The commentator’s mindset is grounded in the past. They stand on the sidelines, critiquing how things are or how they should be.

Commentators often speak with authority, backing up their case with evidence drawn from past events. They can enrol others in their narrative, pulling people into stories of what went wrong, or what always goes wrong. While some of this conversation can feel like harmless banter, it can also be deeply disengaging and demotivating.

The key is to challenge commentators: are their assumptions accurate? Are they helping the organisation move forward? Or are they holding it back?

The Coach

The coach’s mindset is grounded in the future. Coaches see potential. In the organisation, in others, and in themselves.

Rather than offering expertise or simply telling people what they know, Coaches ask the questions that unlock new ways of thinking and acting. They hold belief in what’s possible, and they challenge both Players and Commentators to step into that possibility.

Coaches are catalysts for ambition, growth, and transformation.

Balancing the mindsets

So who are your people being? Are you an organisation full of Players, dedicated and productive but missing the bigger picture? Do you have too many Commentators, offering critique without taking responsibility? Or are Coaches setting the tone, creating a bolder future and helping others rise with them?

For a truly productive culture, organisations need a workforce that acts like Players but thinks like Coaches.

And what about the Commentators? It would be unrealistic (and unhelpful) to try and silence them completely. But by paying attention to the conversations taking place across your organisation, you gain valuable insight into its health. Too many assumptions? Too much describing and reporting what’s wrong? That’s the signal it’s time to coach the Commentators, guiding them to explore possibilities, commit to action, and take full responsibility.

The takeaway

The culture of your organisation is shaped by who your people are being in conversation. By nurturing more Coaches, empowering your Players, and constructively challenging your Commentators, you unlock the conditions for a culture that takes action today while building for tomorrow.

Performance isn’t just what your people do. It’s who they are being. Get in touch to start shaping a culture where Coaches unlock potential and Players deliver impact. Get in touch here.