Coaching
Last Friday a client asked me to meet her in a busy coffee shop. Whilst I was waiting I noticed a couple at the next table. Within a few minutes, I realised this was a senior executive meeting with her coach. They arrived just a few minutes before me, and left at about the same time as my own meeting ended. I noticed that she asked him a couple of quiet questions, and that his response was to emphatically to tell her what to do. I also noticed that within ten minutes, he was the only one talking for the rest of the hour, and mainly about himself - how he handles stress, the tricky decisions he has made for his own business, what he's learned the hard way.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't what she needed. I always encourage OzTrain coaches to listen and prompt for at least the first half an hour of any coaching session. Not only do they need to do this to find out what's happening for their coachee, but the very process of encouraging them to say their thoughts and worries out loud to someone they can trust can be the most valuable support of all.
I'm pretty sure listening to the coach's challenges and strategies wasn't what this woman needed. Make sure you choose a coach who is clearly there for YOU. I'm pretty sure who really benefited from that hour......
Author: Denise Picton
Categories: Leading & Managing,