Lessons in Coaching: Picking Great Customers and Helping Others Succeed

In today's fast-paced world, everyone faces problems that they struggle with, and these challenges can be similar to others'. However, one does not have to be better than others to help them overcome their issues; as fellow human beings, we can do it together, stumbling through life without clear answers. In this article, I will discuss two critical coaching lessons: how to pick great customers and how to help others through the power of feed-forward and behavioural coaching.

Lesson 1: Pick Great Customers

Picking great customers is crucial for coaching success. As an executive coach, the biggest challenge is selecting the right customers. Working with great people is critical to the success of coaching. One of the key lessons is knowing that if you pick great customers, your coaching process will always work, but if you choose the wrong customer, the coaching process will never work.

This lesson was highlighted by?Jamie?Dimon, the?Chairman of the Board?at?JP?Morgan Chase, who is ranked as one of the top leaders in?banking. Jamie’s?first lesson was that the coaching process should not be about the coach's ego but about the people they work with, how proud they are of them, and how hard they work. He emphasized that leadership is not about him but about the people he works with.

Lesson 2: Help Others Succeed through Feed-Forward and Behavioral Coaching

Two powerful tools can help people overcome their problems: feed-forward and behavioral coaching. Feed-forward is a process that involves asking for input, listening non-defensively, saying thank you, and recognizing people for their input. The focus is on helping each other, rather than judging each other. Through feed-forward, people learn not to judge or critique but to focus on helping. This process is highly effective in helping people overcome their problems.

Behavioral coaching, on the other hand, is a powerful tool that helps people overcome behavioral issues. It does not help with intellectual, technical, or functional problems. Before engaging in behavioral coaching, certain conditions need to exist for it to be effective. The person being coached must be willing to try, and they must be given a fair chance to succeed. Behavioral coaching should not be used to save the unsavable or those with ethics and integrity issues.

If three conditions exist, behavioral coaching always works. The issue must be a behavioral one, and the person being coached must be willing to try. Lastly, they must be given a fair chance to succeed. The coaching process begins by establishing goals, followed by a review of current behavior, and then developing a plan to improve. The coach should set up a support structure to help the person being coached implement the plan. Lastly, the coach should follow up on progress and provide feedback.

Conclusion

As a coach, it is essential to pick the right customers and make the coaching process about them, not yourself. Working with great people is critical to the success of coaching. In conclusion, feed-forward and behavioral coaching are two powerful tools that can help people overcome their problems. Feed-forward helps people help each other without judging, while behavioral coaching helps people overcome behavioral issues. When conditions are right, both tools can help individuals achieve their goals and improve their lives.?Great?leadership is not about an individual's ego but about the people they work with.

Take it to the Next Level and Sign Up for One of Our Programs

As a certified Positive Psychology coach, I will be happy to discuss coaching options with you. You can also opt for one of our open enrolment programs. My company Wisselbanck works together with the world’s largest banks, leading strategy consulting firms, top business schools and most influential industry though leaders to bring you a unique portfolio of executive programs. From?leadership?to?strategy, from?innovation?to?transformation, we help you and your organisation to flourish. Check out our open enrolment programs below, or contact us for a customised program for your organisation.

Morten Kriek is the founder of?Wisselbanck ?? , co-founder of?The Banking 50 , and holds a Masters Degree in Positive Leadership and Strategy from?IE Business School ?in Madrid. He also completed on-campus executive programs at some of the world's leading business schools including?Columbia Business School ,?Yale School of Management ,?The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth ?and?Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management . Morten is also a certified Positive Psychology Coach from the?Wholebeing Institute .