- How much have you spent on professional development in the last couple of years? (Clinics, seminars, conventions)
- Are you a member of any groups designed to make yourself a better professional? (AVCA, NACWAA, ToastMasters)
- Do you pore over leadership and team chemistry books so that you can be the best possible coach that you can be?
- Have you attained any certifications that make you more marketable?
If you can answer yes to any of those questions, then you are a valuable asset to your institution/company. And not just to your company, but to other folks as well! Don’t believe me?
- Have you ever had a good friend “casually” mention that their daughter plays your sport and they’d love for you to give their kid some pointers?
- Do coaches come to you with a coaching issue and asking your opinion on how they should proceed?
- Do groups ask you to come speak to their teams because you’ve been successful?
If you can answer yes to any of those questions…and they get their answers for free, then you may not be valuing yourself as highly as you should. Professional development costs money, as does being a member of professional associations. You may say, “But Dawn, my college pays for all of my professional development, so it’s not really money out of my pocket.” To that I’d say, congrats! You’ve negotiated a wonderful contract for yourself that your employer deems you worthy of…but those are still costs. You’re working for that “free” money!
When folks ask to pick your brain, what they’re really asking is for you to give them something freely, even though you paid a high price for it! In a fabulous article, No, You Can’t Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much, the author talks about protecting her investment: herself.
I think it’s hard for coaches to think in this manner, but we charge for lessons, camps, clinics, etc. They may have different names, but they all come down to our knowledge. If this is sparking anything in you, then I’d suggest you read the article linked in the paragraph above. The author has ten ways that will help you value the knowledge you’ve acquired over the years.
Giving things away is good for the soul, I believe it’s why so many people do community service…it just feels good. But there’s a time and a place for it. Make sure that you’re in charge of who receives freebies and that you’re not getting bullied or tricked into giving away what you should be charging for.
What’s your knowledge worth?
Like this post? Check out What Are You Worth? How to Negotiate Salary.
