One thing that sets The Center for Executive Coaching apart is our focus on teaching a variety of different types of coaching conversations. We have broken coaching down into a group of coaching conversations. If you play tennis, you know that you have to learn to hit the forehand, backhand, serve, overhead, and volley before you can put together a complete game. Coaching is similar, except that, instead of putting together strokes, you are putting together conversations.
Here are some of the conversations a best-practice coach should know how and when to use:
Active inquiry: The ability to ask powerful, open-ended questions to have the client and coach come up with fresh insights about how to resolve challenges and get better.
Appreciative inquiry: A sub-set of active inquiry in which you build in what's working and the positive.
Accountability: Conversations to hold the client accountable for doing what he says he will do and keeping commitments.
Coachability: Keeping the client open to learning, coaching, and getting better.
Sharing stories: Stories are a powerful coaching tool. Every coach needs a repository of stories about himself and others who have overcome challenges, handled difficult situations, and showed character and resilience.
Acknowledgement: An essential conversation to point out and celebrate results that the client achieves.
Setting context: Here, the coach helps the client understand where they are, where they/ve been, and where they are heading in the coaching process.
Contracting: These are conversations that define the coaching relationship, from the goals the client wants to achieve to confidentiality, scope, and permission to coach.
Value: Conversations to confirm that the client is getting value.
Other coaching programs barely scratch the surface of these important conversations. We start by showing you what these conversations are, and then add meat to the bone with deep content and tools focused on the most pressing issues that executives, managers, and leaders face.
