Key Management Development Models, 3rd Edition

PART THIRTEEN

Coaching

One of the biggest problems with coaching is its name. Because sports team coaches, who are often very directive, are also said to ‘coach’ their team members, there is a lot of confusion about the role of the coach at work. Equally, coaching is often confused with mentoring. In its purest sense, good coaching is about helping others to develop themselves, solve problems or make decisions, based on good questions. The good coach does not (as the mentor does) offer advice unless it is specifically sought. Nor does the coach ask leading questions to take the coachee to a specific solution. Instead, the coach asks questions that help the coachee to trawl their personal experience, make connections and ultimately become self-sufficient. ...