on Fri, 12/12/2014 - 17:30 by Heidi Kraft (not verified)
Great topic. I cringe when I hear people only giving advice and calling it coaching. It's such an overused word in the world now so I think it's important that as Executive Coaches we keep distinguishing the differences with those in and out of the coaching industry. One thing that I will add is to the point of knowing when to use each skill. I totally agree with that. I also think it's really important that we also factor in our client's habits and the way they learn. Totally agree with the point above from Marshall Goldsmith about not asking a ton of questions when you can offer suggestions, but sometimes that's also the defaul of the client. They don't want to do the hard work. So we need to gauge each situation differently. I also remember learning from a client several years ago. He gave me an answer to a question I asked and then said "Uh oh, that must not have been the right answer". When I looked at him puzzled he said "I notice that whenever I say somethign that's on or right, you nod and that's my cue that I'm on the right track". It was really great information for me to realize that I may have been coming across like I was nodding in agreement vs just indicating that I understand what he said. It was a good cue for me to realize the impact of my nonverbal reactions as well as just whether or not I was "coaching" or "consulting"
Know yourself and your client well
Great topic. I cringe when I hear people only giving advice and calling it coaching. It's such an overused word in the world now so I think it's important that as Executive Coaches we keep distinguishing the differences with those in and out of the coaching industry. One thing that I will add is to the point of knowing when to use each skill. I totally agree with that. I also think it's really important that we also factor in our client's habits and the way they learn. Totally agree with the point above from Marshall Goldsmith about not asking a ton of questions when you can offer suggestions, but sometimes that's also the defaul of the client. They don't want to do the hard work. So we need to gauge each situation differently. I also remember learning from a client several years ago. He gave me an answer to a question I asked and then said "Uh oh, that must not have been the right answer". When I looked at him puzzled he said "I notice that whenever I say somethign that's on or right, you nod and that's my cue that I'm on the right track". It was really great information for me to realize that I may have been coming across like I was nodding in agreement vs just indicating that I understand what he said. It was a good cue for me to realize the impact of my nonverbal reactions as well as just whether or not I was "coaching" or "consulting"