How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 445

4.35 PITFALLS FOR COACHING
● Jumping to solutions
● Advocating too early
● Assuming you know what the coachee wants to get out of the
conversation or coaching relationship
● Reloading rather than listening.
How to avoid some pitfalls of coaching
1. Reach agreement up-front.
Do not to start without a signed agreement between the coach and the
coachee. If coaching is your ‘bread and butter’, you need to ensure that
you will be paid for your services. If the potential coachee is reluctant to
talk through these important issues before intervention starts, it’s highly
unlikely that those issues—including payment of your professional
fees—will occur later.
2. Know the difference between being ‘in control’ and ‘in charge’.
Coaches need to let go of any desire to control outcomes. For a coach to
be effective, s/he must remain ‘in charge’ but be prepared to give
‘control’ to the coachee. It is the coachee who must accept responsibility
for his or her behavior and goal-achievement.
3. Remain solution-focused.
Coaching is a goal-directed, solution-focused activity. The coach must
ensure that his or her actions are forward-looking rather than backward
looking and focusing on what works rather than dwelling on the
problem. If as coach you recognize the need to recommend the services
of an accredited therapist—do so.
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