If you have ever experienced working with an experienced and qualified coach, you will know that a coach can ask one or two questions that really challenge your thinking and throw you for six. Sometimes it’s not all that pleasant or comfortable, either, but it’s useful, and inevitably, somewhere down the track you are grateful that the hard questions were asked.

Good quality coaching works. It improves thinking, facilitates insight (AHA moments), and can move people to extraordinary levels of engagement, motivation and action. The secret to powerful coaching lies in the extensive exploration of current thinking and the creation of new thinking.

We can take a coaching approach to our daily conversations – at home, and at work.

There are different kinds of conversations for different circumstances and they can be loosely categorised in terms of two continuums from Ask to Tell, and the Past or Problem focus to the Future or Solution focus.

If we Ask questions about something that happened in the Past or that focuses on the Problem – you could say we are in ‘counselling’ mode.

If we Tell or give Advice about something that happened in the Past or that focuses on the Problem – you could say we are in ‘consulting’ mode.

If we Tell or give Advice about something that has to happen in the Future or is about a potential Solution – it’s considered ‘training’ or ‘mentoring’ mode.

And if we Ask questions about something that has to happen in the Future or focuses on the Solution – it’s considered ‘coaching’ mode.

Coaching mode is where, for a number of reasons, we are most likely to experience insight or AHA moments.

Take the time today to notice where you spend more time in your conversations.

Michelle

Click here to find out more about my Corridor Conversations program coming up!