Coaching is an ongoing intentional conversation that empowers a person or group to fully live out their true calling.

Coaches don’t talk, they listen.

Coaches don’t give information, they ask questions.

Coaches don’t offer ideas, they generate ideas from clients.

Coaches don’t share their story, they tap into the client’s experience.

Coaches don’t present solutions, they expand the client’s thinking.

Coaches don’t give recommendations, they empower clients to choose.

Coaching Mindset

Coaching is not about coaches providing answers, it’s about drawing out answers from clients. This is one of many mindset shifts those who want to coach well must make. Here are a few more:

• Asking questions will generate better learning – for you and your clients.

• Your information isn’t necessary – clients need perspective, focus, and courage.

• Discovery is far more powerful than you telling clients something.

• Internal change is transformational and produces fundamental solutions to problems.

• It’s not about you and what you have to offer, it’s about your clients.

Coaching Skill Set

For leaders who are accustomed to talking, offering solutions, and sharing our experience, the biggest challenge is to stop talking. When we do, we find it difficult to ask questions because, frankly, we’re not very good at it. Our curiosity is limited because we think we already know the answer. We know how to talk, but not to ask. Professional coaches rely on these skills:

• Active listening so others can express themselves.

• Asking powerful questions that initiate a change of thinking.

• Generating feedback that avoids defensiveness.

• Expanding awareness that creates new learning.

• Designing action steps that will actually be accomplished.

• Following-up to increase learning and accountability.

Coaching Tool Set

Coaching is a learning process, not a teaching process. Many of the teaching tools we regularly use can’t be used in coaching. Professional coaches have a different set of tools. These tools flow from a coaching mindset and use a coaching skill set in order to facilitate the client’s learning.

• Conversational learning processes, such as The COACH Model®.

• Processes to discover the most relevant topic for each coaching conversation.

• Tools to focus on the person, not the problem.

• Techniques to identify and challenge limiting beliefs.

• Patterns of internal barriers.

• Grids to assist clients to make sound decisions.

• Tools to get people into action.