February 14 has become known for celebrating love. Why not celebrate another “true love” which is coaching! In this article I share some of my coaching love story. Many of you have your own love story as well and I...
Category: U #2 – Embodies a Coaching Mindset
Develops and maintains a mindset that is open, curious, flexible and client-centered.
How realistic is it to do pure coaching?
Mentoring clients studying coaching skills in my mentoring programs often ask whether doing “pure coaching” sessions is a realistic expectation. Pure coaching refers to when the coach stays in “coaching mindset” through an entire coaching session, refraining from giving unasked-for...
Finding center
Our world is complex, and our relationship with the world is complex. Our personal “world” and what is going on at any given time is also complex. There are known elements and unknown; both can be experienced feeling emotions ranging...
Coaching client language of laughs and giggles
During a coaching session, a Professional Coach uses a range of coaching skills, including asking the client clarifying and discovery oriented questions, giving back their summaries or comments to the client, and offering observations, sensing or intuitive thoughts or feelings...
Let the client do the work
A common saying in coach training programs is that coaches ask questions, and offer observations, yet it’s the client who does “the work.” Along with another common saying; that coaches believe their clients to be “whole, resourceful and capable, and...
Coaching Client Identity
Especially in recent years, there’s been heightened focus on Identity. Yet Identity has been part of societies for every generation, in all cultures of the world. Whether it’s based in political, religious, racial, gender or age differences (to name a...
Coach behaviors which influence their client
Coaching as a professional conversation differs from other conversations because the mindset of the coach and client is one of Partnership; keeping the client "in the spotlight" as it's the client-desired outcome that the coach is there to serve. A...
The flow of a coaching conversation
A coaching conversation is a conversation with a purpose, being a client-determined topic and outcome for each coaching session. Professional Coaches are trained in how to structure a coaching session, so there is maximum opportunity for the client to gain...
Refrain from giving unsolicited suggestions
It can be tempting for a coach to believe their "value" to a client is in the sharing of resources, such as a framework, model or book suggestion for the client. We've been conditioned to believe that our answers are...
Acknowledging your coaching client
As professionally trained coaches, we learn the important coaching skill of acknowledging the client for their “work” in the coaching process. However Acknowledging as a Coaching Skill has broader application, as defined in five of the ICF Core Competencies which...