Cathy Liska 
A coaching relationship is geared specifically to an individual client. To maximize the process for that person, a coach co-creates the relationship, process, and even tools when coaching. What exactly does this mean? For the relationship, it is about knowing what works for the individual client in terms of communication, exploring possibilities, and empowering their decision making. When coaching, sometimes friendly conversation first is important and at other times getting to the point right away is better. Some clients value lots of affirmation while others want only minimal reinforcement.
In the coaching process for example, some people benefit from thinking out loud when considering barriers and then brainstorming possibilities. Others prefer writing lists. Some do well with planning a few of the possibilities while others do better listing more possibilities first then choosing which to develop potential plans for implementing.
Coaching tools range from different techniques for managing information and ideas to resources for evaluation to books for learning and more. Sometimes coaches maintain a list of good books based on topics areas. Some coaches are certified in different assessment tools. A multitude of tools are available online. Another option is developing unique tools for individual clients.
In this blog series we will explore different scenarios and examples of co-creating the relationship, the process, and tools.
