Focus attention - questions are not directive, but they are influential. They prompt the coachee to look for a new idea or solution in a particular area. Experienced coaches are adept at using questions to help people step outside the ‘problem mindset’ and look for answers in unexpected places.
Elicit new ideas- however ‘obvious’ the answer may seem to the coach, it’s amazing how often a coachee will come up with several different and often better alternatives. Unless you ask the question, you risk leaving the coachee’s creativity untapped.
Foster commitment - there’s a huge difference between doing something because someone has told you to or suggested it, and doing something that you have dreamt up yourself. Even if a coachee comes up with the same idea the coach had in mind, the fact that she has thought it through herself means she will have a much greater sense of ownership and commitment when putting into practice.
Giving feedback This is always a hot topic when I run coaching seminars. It’s a big subject, but the key to delivering effective coaching feedback is that it is observational and non-judgemental. If you provide clear, specific feedback about the coachee’s actions and their consequences, then the chances are the coachee will be perfectly capable of evaluating his performance for himself.
Giving ‘negative feedback’ is often a delicate process, but the following principles will make it easier and more effective for everyone concerned:
Make sure you’ve already given plenty of positive feedback. If you have a track record of giving open, honest praise to someone, it makes it far easier than if you only jump in to criticise when things go wrong.
Appreciate (or at least acknowledge) the PERSON - deliver feedback on specific BEHAVIOUR. You don’t need to rebuild someone’s personality to help them learn and change, merely to them do something different.
