Sometimes our clients get caught up in a story they are telling themselves, either about themselves, others, or their situation. They may say something like, āI need a big win. Things just arenāt going my way.ā A coach can challenge...
Category: #6 – Powerful Questioning
Unconscious Bias in coaching
Written by co-leader of The Mentor Coaching Group, Karen Boskemper, PCC. Here's where you'll find more about Karen. In preparation for a Gender Equality workshop Iāll be leading for a client, I was recently doing some research on biases. I...
Partnering – the approach that differentiates coaching from other professions
The term āpartneringā has become fashionable within the ICF and one that is critically important to understand, if you are seeking to be an effective coach. And itās a term specifically used in five places in the PCC Markers, for...
How to demonstrate more ICF core competencies by having a Coaching Plan
Thereās an easy way for a coach to demonstrate more competencies in their coaching, which is by having a Coaching Plan for your coaching engagement. My Definition of a Coaching Plan A Coaching Plan does not have to be some...
The important role of asking closed-ended questions
One of the most powerful ātools of tradeā available to any coach is the ability to ask questions that provide maximum benefit to the client, so they uncover the knowledge and information they need in order to move forward. Coaches...
Great Coaching is Not Time Bound
As someone who trains and mentor coaches, Iāll often hear coaches say that if they had more time in a coaching session, they would have been able to ask this or say that. Some coaches say that 30 minutes isnāt...
Be Present to Client Language
One of the best ways for a coaching client to feel heard is to use the clientās language in our reflections, messages and questions. There are many of the ICF core competencies affected by how well the coach listens including...
Be Curious About Client Meaning and Language
I recently attended a Panel Discussion at my local Performing Arts Center. The title of the discussion was, āDo the Arts Make Us Better People?ā The moderator started out by saying that we need to define what ābetterā means. She...
When a Question is not a Question – precision in coaching language
One of the most powerful coaching skills we have available to us as coaches is asking a question that has the potential to be powerful for the client. This may seem strange, but not every coach seems to know what...
Listen for metaphors
ICF Core Coaching Competency #7 is about the use of Direct Communication, which is an "ability to communicate effectively during coaching sessions, and to use language that has the greatest positive impact on the client." One of the sub-points...