The goal of coaching is to motivate others and expand their thinking and skills. While feedback is a corrective exercise, coaching is a tool focused on growth and development.

I liken the act of coaching to stretching and shooting an elastic band. The psychological process that coaching involves is exactly this. The objective is to create tension between the current and future desired state and clarity as to where to go next in your direct report’s mind.

To answer the first question of whether coaching is the right tool, the first question to ask is, “Are the answers in the room (aka direct reports’ brain), and do they just need help illuminating and clarifying the path forward? If this is the case, coaching is the best tool for maximum impact.

The second part is asking good questions. For example, I lose my keys a lot, and when I do, the first question that gets asked is, “Where was the last place you put them?” This is an example of a not-so-good coaching question. 

For coaching questions to be effective, they should be focused on illuminating different parts of the problem with the intent of bringing clarity to the problem at hand and also the best path forward. The four types of coaching questions should be focused on what we refer to as the 4 C’s of coaching – clarity, compassion, conviction and confidence.

Not all talent will contribute equally or consistently to the group’s objectives. We all experience periods of good and poor health, and it is important to provide space and compassion for these occasional times of life.

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