How do you choose the best coaching approach for different team members and situations?

It is my observation the purpose of coaching starts with the individual being coached. Asking the individual (or team) how they would like to grow and further ask what would become possible if they did grow in that select way, can be a very powerful (and necessary) conversation in the coaching journey. Often, a corporate sponsor will tell me where they think the individual being coached should grow. And when I ask the individual directly, they nearly always articulate a very similar area of growth (as the corporate sponsor), but from a deeper and more personal place. AND...they have more buy-in and are far more likely to achieve coaching success in that targeted area if it was their idea (rather than having the topic imposed on them).

Coaching basiert auf Vertrauen. Da wir unterschiedlich Vertrauen aufbauen, ist es wichtig, als Coach die einzelnen Verhaltensstile im Team-Coaching zu beachten. Dies gilt für den gesamten Prozess, damit jeder geh?rt und gesehen wird. Die offene Kommunikation sowie eine Verbindlichkeit sind gute Komponenten, um Teamcoaching erfolgreich durchzuführen. Au?erdem sollte es vorab eine Kl?rung der Erwartungen geben. Dies mache ich immer in Einzelgespr?che. Denn dort erfahre ich auch Dinge, die in einer gr??eren Runde vielleicht nicht ausgesprochen werden.

Selecting the most effective coaching approach for diverse team members and various situations involves a nuanced understanding of individual needs and contextual considerations. By tailoring coaching styles to align with each team member's unique strengths, learning preferences, and communication styles, leaders can foster an environment that brings out the best in each individual.

I believe a skilled coach creates space for the client (or team) to step into. The path to create that space feels pretty consistent in my experience: -Get out of my own way and become deeply present for the individual. This is never about me; it's critical to listen deeply with an attempt to understand with compassion. -Allow the questions to surface. There is usually a physical tingle in my arms and shoulders when the powerful question arises. Ask the question with patience. If it's the right question, it will take some time for the client to process it and then step into the space you've created in a spirit of exploration. -Follow the client, use their language, listen deeply and the coaching style will emerge naturally.

I think asking the relevant questions does help a coach to analyse the answers given by the coachee and that leads to understanding of how the coachee understands. That's when a coach can change the style to adopt a way through which it will be useful for coachee to find the interaction useful. I have share this in my small book Relashuns to Relashines.. also...

I no longer coach clients who don't actively request coaching. I'm more than willing to describe the coaching process, my methodology and likely outcomes if a potential client is curious about coaching, or encouraged to have that conversation. But I won't coach them until THEY say they are ready. If a business approaches me and asks me to coach one of their team members, my first question is always, "did they ask to be coached?" Not everybody is ready for a powerful journey of personal and professional growth. I invite businesses to make coaching available, but wait for the team members to ask for the coaching when they feel ready.

Idealerweise hat sich jemand aus eigenem Antrieb für einen Coaching entschieden. Doch auch wenn die Bereitschaft eher gering ist, kann ein Coaching sehr hilfreich sein. Es gilt mit dem Coachee zu kl?ren, ob er nicht m?chte oder ob er nicht m?chte, aber gerne m?chten k?nnen will. Dementsprechend sollte der eigene Stil nicht zu schnell nach dem scheinbaren ersten Eindruck des Coachees ausgerichtet werden. Jemand der eifrig ist, kann sehr selbstsicher sein. M?glicherweise steht hinter dem Eifer aber auch gro?e Sorge und Unsicherheit. Einfühlsam im Coaching zu sein im Sinne davon, den Coachee im Kern seiner Bedürfnisse verstehen zu k?nnen, ist immer hilfreich.

It's my strong belief that coaching is always about the individual (or team being coached) and the area of growth that is most important to them. It starts there. Does that individual or team exist in a specific work/cultural/normative context? Absolutely. And that context will show up regularly in coaching sessions. However, there is a fundamental difference between outside in coaching (starting with the organization and working through that lens down to the team and individual level) and inside out coaching where you start with the individual and understand the structure, culture and norms from their perspective. In my experience, the inside out approach allows for greater individual and team growth, because it gets to the source.

I'd encourage anybody selecting a coach to ask questions about their coaching methodology. It's one thing to be skilled in creating a powerful coaching space (and extremely important) and another to also attach it to a purposeful and proven methodology. Is the methodology powerful enough to drive consistent results, but agile enough to meet you where you are in your journey in a very tailored way? I'm an Integral Coach and I believe strongly in that methodology - it is one of the most perfect things I've ever found. Because of that, I personally hire Integral Coaches to support me in my journey. And there are other valuable methodologies out there. I'd invite anybody to confirm that their coach has one that will work for them.

If the coach's intentions are to truly serve the individual (or team) being coached, and if they are able to get out of their own way, then the relationship will develop naturally. Ideally coaches shouldn't tell clients things, but rather invite exploration. The client will learn and grow more capably when the discoveries are their own; a skilled coach will help guide them to make that discovery through inquiry and reflection. To do so requires generous listening skills on the coach's part. Is there a time to be a bit more directive? Yes. I find it useful to frame those contributions as an "offer" so that the client maintains control. "May I offer something that I think might be useful here?"

A lot depends on culture and what environment Coachee has grown up in. Essential for a coach up understand how Coachee prefers to make a choice. Obviously, in some cultures, coach cannot always leave on the coachee to come out with their own answer. It will be necessary to suggest also and ask Coachee to use Test Operate Test Exit method to check the feasibility. That's how it must work...So relationship can move from a coach to a mentor to an awakener also... Point is : Does coach come with that kind of experience and flexibility and understanding? RS