In Coach the Person, Not the Problem, Marcia Reynolds seeks to expand people’s understanding of coaching. She argues that coaching is a partnership in which coaches help clients examine and challenge deep-seated beliefs that limit them, rather than a surface level, problem-solving exercise in which an expert doles out advice.

Reynolds is a leadership and executive coach who has advanced degrees in education, communications, and organizational psychology. Through working with a range of clients—including corporations like AT&T and American Express, universities, and government agencies—she discovered that lasting change comes only when people confront the underlying assumptions and emotions that have led them into the same, problematic situations time and again.

This guide examines Reynolds’s approach to coaching, five practices she uses to empower clients, and techniques to hone your coaching skills. Additionally, we provide expert perspectives that support, counter, and contextualize Reynolds’s work.