RCI’s foundational coach training emphasizes developing and using your “Coaching Superpower” and provides the tools and skills to empower your clients to achieve great results.
Empowering your client means that you must avoid being directive, avoid giving advice and inserting your opinions and suggestions, and to remove your ego/judgment/attachment/agenda by asking neutral, client focused coaching questions that move your client forward towards their goals and agenda.
This Coaching Skills Critical Thinking Quiz is intended to give you a peek into how to use your Coaching Superpower to empower your client’s success and illustrates some of the nuances of masterful coaching. For more information about The Coaching Superpower, click here
Instructions: Identify the problem (or potential problem) of the following coaching responses AND re-phrase each through the lens of using your Coaching Superpower to empower your client’s success. The answer key is below. For maximum benefit, put some thought into each item before jumping to the answer key.
- I’m curious to know what you believe about that.
- Is that realistic?
- That’s wonderful, you did a fantastic job!
- May I make a suggestion?
- Great plan, how do you feel about it?
- For your homework I would like you to…
- In my opinion you should…
- I’m pleased that you’re happy with how that went.
- Why is that important to you?
- If you think that’s too hard would you prefer to skip it?
Again, for maximum benefit, put some thought into each item above before reviewing the answers below.
Answer Key:
- I’m curious to know what you believe about that.
Coach uses “I” statement and asks about a belief. It is completely unnecessary to preface a coaching question with “I’m curious” and sends the unintentional message that you are more concerned about what you want to know than what’s important to your client. Using the word “believe” is not neutral and implies questioning the clients beliefs. Beliefs, like feelings are not a productive focus of coaching. A better, more neutral question might be “What’s your perspective about that?” or “What’s your reaction to that?” - Is that realistic?
Not a neutral question, strongly implies that the coach questions and has an opinion about how realistic the client is being. Better question might be “How can you make that happen?” and whether or not it’s possible or realistic will be uncovered in the process. - That’s wonderful, you did a fantastic job!
Praising the client infers judgment by the coach and is not neutral or desired, even if positive. Similar to “I” statements, what matters is the client’s perspective, not the coach’s, and whether intentional or not, when the coach shares their perspective it detracts from empowering the client. The coaching skill of Endorsement is a better response, such as “You followed up, even when it was hard, and got the result you wanted. What’s your reaction to that?” - May I make a suggestion?
Providing suggestions, even by asking permission, is rarely needed or desired and detracts from empowering the client. Ideas and strategies are best discovered by the client, and the only time a coach can freely provide a suggestion is in the context of brainstorming when ideas are being thrown out without attachment. Better than trying to take a shortcut by providing a suggestion is to help the client explore their options through brainstorming, polling, or research. - Great plan, how do you feel about it?
Praising the plan is not neutral and strongly infers judgment from the coach. Using the word “feel” is not neutral and imprecise, meaning it could refer to emotions, intuition, physical sensations, thinking/judgment, and is a word best not used in coaching at all, especially because feelings are reactive, we can’t coach feelings and need to focus on actions and choices. Better coaching response is to endorse the client for their plan and check in with them by asking “You’ve worked hard on this plan and seem ready to go, what’s your confidence level right now? - For your homework I would like you to…
The coach does not assign homework or direct a client or use the word “I.” “Homework” is almost always the next step(s) in the client’s action plan and best identified by asking the client something like “So what will you be working on this week?” or “What steps with you be implementing this week?” The exception is when using a structured program that includes planned activities and exercises, in which case it is best to support the client to follow the program rather than use language that directs the client what to do. - In my opinion you should…
A coach should never, ever say these words, provide an opinion, or tell a client what they should do. Doing so detracts from empowering the client and no opinion is so critical to the client’s success that it is worth doing so. - I’m pleased that you’re happy with how that went.
While a positive statement, it refers to the coach’s perspective and uses the word “I,” which detracts from empowering the client. Again, as above, an endorsement response would be more effective for highlighting and celebrating the client’s success, such as “You just had a big win and things went exactly how you wanted them to, what’s that like for you?” - Why is that important to you?
Not a neutral question and implies the coach questioning the importance of something, even if not intended. “Why” questions are rarely helpful as they cause the client to try to articulate or justify something that is simply a reality for them and something they value that the coach should accept and support, not ask the client to explain or justify. If something is important, it’s important, it doesn’t matter why. An exception is big picture coaching of Purpose to get in touch with the reason that a particular purpose is important to the client, which can help self awareness and motivation. A better question might be “What about that is important to you?” if it seems an important area to explore and clarify. - If you think that’s too hard would you prefer to skip it?
Clients will often resist something hard or challenging as it is normal to prefer to stay in their comfort zone. However, success only happens by leaving your comfort zone, so the coach’s role is to be persistent and support the client to find ways to proceed forward, even when it’s hard or scary. Initial response can be to explore options and see if there’s a strategy that is less challenging for the client, but once all the options are on the table and the plan is decided upon (by the client), the coach’s emphasis is on helping the client to find creative ways to move forward, not accepting that something might be “too hard.” A better question might be “What are some ways to break this down to be easier to implement?”
For more information about The Coaching Superpower, click here
