Coaching Archive - The Art of Communicating

That was quick

Among the things that frequently surprise my clients is the speed at which we arrive at results.

Anna once said: “I am not sure how you crawl into these ideas so quickly, assess them so clearly and then make such helpful summative comments considering an arsenal of factors in such record time.”

Well, I have no idea how my clients arrive at their brilliance, either, but together it seems that it’s the perfect match.

If you have an important story to share, let’s connect and find the right words.

Brilliant

Are you tired of coaches who think you need “fixing”?

There’s a prevailing notion in parts of the industry that individuals come to coaches because something is “broken”.

Recently, I spoke with a colleague who essentially said “I know better than him what he wants,” implying that this person was kind of lost and needed to be saved.

I prefer a different take: I believe in guiding you towards clarity, not telling you what you should want or need. Everyone, regardless of their current state, possesses an inherent brilliance. It’s one of the reasons why I identify less as a “coach” and more as an “advisor”.

My clients work with me because they are brilliant at what they do and they want to make the best out of that brilliance. I don’t fix them. I grow them.

I never tell you what you should want. I listen closely. I ask questions (tough ones at times). And I help you understand your choices. But it’s always you who makes the choice.

It can feel like coaching at times. It can feel like mentoring. Or anything in between. But in the end, it’s mainly just sharing my expertise with you.

When you think of seeking guidance, are you looking for someone to ‘fix’ you or to help you shine brighter?

The coaching spectrum

A lot of coaching focuses on fixing the coachee. Someone has a problem and visits a coach to help them overcome it and pull them out.

A different approach to coaching is more like the “sports” way. Their focus is not on fixing you but in helping you to achieve your goals and push you forward.

A third kind avoids pushing and pulling. These coaches try to make the coachee see the possible paths so that the coachee can make conscious choices based on what they see.

The differences might look subtle. All three approaches work towards an outcome that improves on the current situation.

But they can feel vastly different – on both sides of the room.

If you’re a coach where do you sit on that spectrum?
If you’re not a coach what do you seek in a coach?

Of course you hire a coach

When you’re an athlete, of course you’re working with a coach. Even the best athletes still have a coach. Actually, to be more precise, especially the best athletes do have coaches.

In sports, the cost of hiring a coach is considered to be part of the cost of doing business. No coach, no business. In fact, you’d be considered crazy to start any career in sports without a coach.

In business, that’s quite different. Most careers are started without a coach. The cost of working with a coach is often considered to be optional.

And yet, the benefits of working with a coach are just as obvious as in sports. Great coaches bring experiences you don’t have. Great coaches dig deep where you don’t have the time to do the same. Great coaches are on your side and root for you when times are rough. Great coaches help you find solutions when you’re stuck.

Really, the question is not whether you should hire a coach but which coach is a great fit.

For example, Shane Cradock helps you master your inner game so you can find the balance you need to make an impact.

Françoise Hontoy helps you navigate the complex dynamics of leadership to become the leader your organization needs.

Kathy Letendre helps you build excellence into the DNA of your organization.

If you need more clarity in the way you think, speak, and lead, I might be able to help.

Instant clarity calls

I’m launching a new service: Instant clarity calls.

It’s for you if you‘ve been juggling ideas in your mind for days and feel that right now, you need to put that to an end. Finally, it’s time to find clarity.

You might be juggling a bunch of opportunities and feel that now it’s time to focus and commit to one? Let’s do that.

Or you’re chewing on your messaging and feel that now it’s time to stop the guessing? Let’s break out with a fresh take.

Maybe you’re facing a keynote speech and just can’t find the perfect angle for your topic? Let’s nail it.

Or the Curse of Knowledge has been playing tricks on you and you need that external view? Let’s go for it.

Sometimes, all you need is just the right question to move you forward. Instant clarity calls do that for you.

Book yours here: Instant clarity call.

For the launch of this new service, I’m giving away five coupon codes to readers of this blog. Use coupon code “CLARITY” at checkout to get 30% off. First come, first serve. Offer valid until June, 26th. The actual coaching sessions can be later.

Brilliance booster

When you hire a coach, it’s most likely because you want to improve your situation in some way. But there’s a huge gap between how bad coaches and good coaches try to achieve that.

Bad coaches try to make you feel less miserable.
Great coaches try to make you feel more brilliant.

Which means that both sit on opposite sides of a spectrum … it’s not that bad coaches are like great ones, just not as good. They are different.

Great coaches work from the assumption that you are brilliant and that you have both, the skill and the will, to achieve even more brilliant things.

Bad coaches work from the assumption that you are miserable and don’t really know what you’re doing. Thank goodness you called them so they can save you from that misery. This kind of coach often has way more answers than questions and they tell you what to do and what not to do. Because they know while you don’t. It’s an off-balance relationship where the coach thinks they are more brilliant than you.

Great coaches have a different approach. They establish a balanced relationship in which they are brilliant at what they do while you are brilliant at what you do. They usually have more questions than answers and help you find a way that allows you to grow from where you’re at. They don’t tell you what to do. They’ll figure it out with you. They use their brilliance to boost your brilliance.

(PS: If you want to learn more about how I approach coaching, just schedule a free discovery call.)

About coaches

There are two kinds of coaches. Those who give you answers and those who give you questions.

There’s a place for both but it’s likely that only one is a good match for you.

The one who has the answers tells you what to do to achieve your goals, the other one helps you figure this out for yourself.

In the first case you trust the coach to have the experience to know what’s best for you, in the second case the coach trusts you to have the ability to know what’s best for you.

In the former case the job of finding the right question is yours, in the latter case it’s the coach’s job.

It pays to become conscious about which one you need before hiring your coach.

(And if you’re a coach, it’s just as valuable to understand your approach in this regard.)

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