Only use these if you wish to take your coaching to the next level.
- Coaches get paid well to move effortlessly across the pull – push spectrum and know when to do so with coaching clients. Pull uses questions and push means giving ideas and guidance.
- Don’t get too “hung up” about clients having all the answers – that’s nonsense. A good coach will have plenty of experience of the job involved and can come out of coaching mode to give ideas and suggestions. Just make sure your client knows you have moved outside of coaching temporarily to proffer proposals.
- If you give an idea to the client, suggest it’s just that and can be easily ignored if the client prefers. Some clients feel obliged to accept your offer especially if you hold rank over them.
- When your client gives you some actions they’re going to carry out, test that they are not just saying these to keep you happy especially if you hold rank. Try using the classic “out of 10, how likely are you to do that?”
- Calibrate your client immediately. Clock their default posture, facial expressions, eye contact, skin colour and voice tempo. Keep an eye out for any physiology “leakage” ie when you spot a change in the photo you took at calibration stage.
- Challenge any leakage that you see “I’ve noticed you seem a little uncomfortable?”
- If you’re using GROW and are exploring the Reality stage, try and dig a little deeper to assess their motivation and values around the goal not just tangible factors. Much of people’s motivation is down to their values and inner drive.
- In GROW, you may want to get to options quickly, but before you do so, explore any strategy behind the options to get a bigger picture. Chunk up any options “what’s that idea part of?”
- If you’re in a busy environment such as a hotel reception area, try to cloak the two of you and block out all sounds and distractions. Put any wall behind you to prevent movement distracting your client.
- Have a rescue question or two up your sleeve. “where are you now?” or “what’s your next step” or “what’s on your mind right now?”
