Coaching Principles Part One

This blog begins a short series of top tips/ideas around what coaching is and isn't.  I am going to use a few images to bring out the salient points.  The way I have portrayed it may seem really simple - it is meant to.  Anyone can make things complicated.   I want you to be able to think about coaching in a pragmatic way so that you can use it.

First things first.  Let me clear about the definition here.  Coaching is about asking people not telling them what to do.  Other styles allow for that. The image above is described below as these are how I see it.

1. Pure Coach Style - only asking and never telling.  Pure coaching (like life coaching) you never give advice.
2. Business Coach Style - coaching used in a business setting. For example how a manager might use coaching. You ask questions first and only when the person being coached completely dries up, you might offer a suggestion or feedback. This is not to direct the conversation but to help the other person as time is limited.  Good coaching models like John Whitmore's GROW model area great for this
3. Trainer Style - adapting the amount of telling or asking depending on what the group needs to help them to learn.
4. Teach Style - classic style means give input then ask a question to check they understand.
5. Lecture Style - Just talk at people in transmit mode

Curve ball - Mentor

This is not so much a style in my opinion but is more about a person that is more experienced than the person being mentored.  You might be the 'seed' and the mentor is represented by the older 'plant' who has 'been there, seen it, got the t-shirt!'

Hope you found that helpful?

Paul