Monday, January 14, 2002 30 Coaching Styles? Dear R&D Team... This assignment/project is a little unusual in that I'm barely able to articulate it.  I started writing a lesson for tomorrow's full Practice ezine on the notion of how not to be a one trick pony as a coach (the theme this week is on Avoiding Client Turnoffs). But the piece quickly expanded from being about a one trick pony to a review of the many styles of coaching.  I first called them coaching approaches but after a chat with Dave Buck early this morning, we decided to go with Coaching Styles instead. Coaching Styles overlaps a bit with two other related concepts:  The 35 Coaching Models and the 100+ Coaching Skills. >>Coaching Models describe the 3 steps of coaching a client in different areas.  The >>Coaching Skills are the skills/techniques a coach uses to coach. So, what is Coaching Styles?  I believe it is the approach the coach takes with most of their clients.  If you look at the list below, you'll probably see 4 or 5 examples how you most often coach clients. Some coaches are only comfortable with (or only have been trained in) 1 or 2 of these approaches/styles. Other coaches know 5 or 10 pretty well.  Some use them all. I guess I am saying is that based on the personality, background, training, experience and natural communication/relating style that a coach has, they will tend toward one or several of these styles. As Dave and I played with this idea this morning, we though about some coaches we knew and we asked ourselves "How does Bill coach?" or "What is Mary's way with her clients?" or "How is Ken most comfortable coaching? From these 'real life examples of coaches, we came up with the 27 examples/coaching styles below.  It's just a start, I know... What we are seeking from you. 1. Comments on if this is a valid distinction or not.  If so, how/why? 2. Adding to the Coaching Styles list below. 3. Is this useful to you?  How, exactly? Please email thomas@thomasleonard.com.  Thanks! We feel that there is something useful about this, and that this is distinct from a rehash of coaching skills or the coaching models, but we're not exactly sure how this is useful... There are at least 30 different styles to coaching, and clients benefit greatly when you are facile with most of them, given the complexity of their situations and the surprises they encounter.   30 COACHING APPROACHES/STYLES Note: In our view, the effective coach is facile with all of the following coaching approaches and uses the approach that best fits the client's current need or situation.  These are not coaching skills per se; but rather approaches to the coaching process. --Thomas Leonard and Dave Buck 1. Asks a lot of questions to gather information. "Why do you?  How come?  When did?  How long.? 2. Challenges the client to find their own answers via inquiry or other means. "What do you think the solution is? What's the first step?" 3. Offers useful tips and suggestions. "Have you ever tried x?  Given what you said, X would probably work." 4. Helps the increase the client's awareness of themselves/situation. "What's the lesson here?  What do you need to learn?" 5. Responds well but doesn't initiate much; lets the client lead. No example. 6. Analyzes the situation and shares this analysis. "I've looked at this and the what I see is..." 7. Focuses on integrity as the primary starting place. "Until your Personal Foundation is strong, you will keep having.." 8. Gets the client to talk a lot so the solution appears by itself. "Say more about that..." 9. Lasers the client; presses for truth beyond just honesty. "Yeah, but what's the truth here that needs to be said?" 10. Comes up with clever, sometimes radical solutions,  for the client. This may be the opposite of what you were expecting, but... 11. Brainstorms, collaboratively. Let's spend 20 minutes brainstorming this from every possible angle. 12. Listens and shares your intuition and inklings. "What I'm sensing is...  My intuition says..." 13. Uses assessment tools to help educate the client on themselves. "According to the DISC, you..." 14. Take the role that "I'm the coach; you're the client.  Listen to me." "Listen, you hired me to..." 15. Pushes for a breakthrough. "What's the breakthrough you're ready to have in this area?" 16. Pushes pearls of wisdom and messages. No example (how ironic!) 17. Fairy godmother peptalker combo:  Highly encouraging. "You're doing just great.  It will all resolve itself.  Keep going." 18. Links together a string of great quotes from famous people. As Covey says... As Ghandi says... As Dave Buck says... 19. Points about what client needs to do, should do. "You should do x.  You may need to..." 20. Focuses on Goals>Action>Accountability What is your goal?... What are the actions?... By when will they be taken? 21. Focuses client to articulate vision, purpose, mission. "Are you aligned with your mission?  What is your purpose?" 22. Alignment/greater consciousness coaches. "It sounds like you're out of balance in this area..." 23. Uses processes/actions a lot with clients. "Breathe!...  You're stuck so let's clean out your closets..." 24. Encourages clients to change their beliefs as a solution. "What belief about money do you need to change in order to..?" 25. Always/only sees the positive; perhaps too positive. "This challenge is only temporary... Look how far you've come!" 26. Sees/pushes possibilities/coulds/ideas. You could do x...  You have all these options available...". 27.  Please email ideas to thomas@thomasleonard.com 28. Please email ideas to thomas@thomasleonard.com 29. Please email ideas to thomas@thomasleonard.com 30. Please email ideas to thomas@thomasleonard.com

  What we are seeking from you...
  1. Comments on if this is a valid distinction or not.  If so, how/why?
  2. Adding to the Coaching Styles list below.
  3. Is this useful to you?  How, exactly?
  Please email thomas@thomasleonard.com.  Thanks!

  Thanks a lot!

  Thomas & Dave.