How Coaching Skills Expand Thinking

It is easy to get caught up in our own thinking.  It is also easy to buy in to what someone is telling us.  This ease may also limit thinking and awareness.  Trained coaches learn skills and techniques that open and expand thinking which in turn creates awareness.

Specifically, with practice coaches learn to ask short and simple questions that are open-ended and forward focused.  Coaches also learn to ask in a way that demonstrates confidence in the client.  For example, asking “What do you think you might want to try?” conveys a lack of conviction that the client will do something.  A trained coach learns to ask “What will you do?” instead.  Asking “What would you like to see happen?” is doubtful it will happen.  Asking “What do you want to see happen?” starts to create the possibility and belief in it happening.  The question “Anything else?” is likely to get a “no” answer.  The question “What else?” invites more thinking and possibilities.

Similarly, trained coaches will ask for different perspectives.  They will start with exploring the client’s perspective and then expand on that by asking the client how others may perceive it.

A trained coach partners with the client to recognize different perspectives and consider how that plays into their own strategies and planning.  Coaching skills expand thinking because of the questions and exploration.