How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Page 519

5. Gentle Suggestion
If you are stuck with coachees who don't respond to your
challenging, you can combine your challenge with the next stage
of the process, solutions. This works where people may be stuck
at the challenging stage because they don't know what to do
next. By suggesting things they can do in a non-forceful and
gentle way, they may come to realise that things aren't as
difficult as they thought. The solution isn't such a big step after
all. "You know, you could always give things a try for a week or
two and see how it works out." "Have you thought of speaking to
Ron? He had the same problem and now he's fine."
In any kind of people problem, you have to get past the stage of
Challenging if you and your employee are to move on.
Sometimes, you will have to be brutal and throw cold water on
people. At other times, you may only need to state the problem
for a solution to be found. But deal with it you must.
For coachees to challenge themselves, you need to ask the
questions in such a way that the coachee will start challenging
himself. You let him state what would motivate and stimulate
him to reach his goal or to achieve his aim.
Examples:
I wonder if it's all worth it?
What would help you to carry on?
It's not an easy task, you know.
Changing is never easy. What would stimulate you to
change?
To swing into action I need a challenge.
What challenge were you thinking of?
Other people make it seem so easy.
How could you make it easy for yourself?

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