In this @CoachingThruIt episode, Julie and Laura chat about pivoting from advising, helping, and mentoring to not be a problem-solver. We unpack the phrase we are told in our coach training: “Coach the Client, Not the Problem.” We join our coaching clients on their journey -- so we talk about our triggers that might  “helper” tendency, to listen to how we are thinking about coaching clients to empower them to reach their own answers and identify their own solutions.

• The “How can I help?” question allows coaching clients to talk out needs & support 
• Avoid giving the hack or solution to the client
• How much more powerful is the solution or direction if the client says it themself?
• Allowing clients to talk out loud ideas, issues, and actualizations
• Every coaching session “success” metric might look different or show up later
• Allow for reflections & takeaways from the client at the end of each session
• Change Talk: “What if …?” and “What would this look like?”
• Motivational Interviewing (episode to come)
• Removing Barnacles: get rid of the context and just ask the short and direct question.
  • “Just so I understand…” or “Out of curiosity…”
• Powerful questions for family, friends or peers: “What would you do to solve this right now?” or “What do you want the outcome to be?” or “I have some ideas… but what do you think we should do first?”
• Empowering others to solve their own problems

Coaching Presence:

• Holding space: coaches are “team you” to sit with clients during the decision-making process and tough conversations around your goals/interests/ideas
• “Sit on Your Hands” to allow for patience
• Coach responses: “Hmmmm” or “Mmmmm” + head tilt or nod

Books & Learnings:

• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
• Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey
• Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
• NPR Life Kit https://www.npr.org/lifekit 

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Want to learn more about coaching? Have a question or topic we should discuss? Let us know!

Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt

Email us at: [email protected] 

Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license.