COACHING STYLES

There are various ways and means of assisting the coaching process.  Coaching can be extremely complex and often involves a wide variety of factors that can make the coaching experience more or less successful.  The simple 4-quadrant grid framework is just “one more tool in the toolbox”.  The Situational Coaching model simply assumes that use of a variety of coaching styles in differing circumstances or situations is likely to be more effective than the use of a single style in all coaching discussions.

Style refers to: “a particular pattern or way of behaving”.  Style can also mean: “a consistent approach that one person may take when communicating with another”.  The various styles have been broadly classified into Push and Pull categories.

PUSH STYLES OF COACHING Push styles of communication are usually relatively fast in delivery and led by the coach The fundamental aim is to actively coax, cajole or convince the person being coached to accept a message Typical exerted pro-actively or initiated by the coach in the relationship
A More Directive / Assertive Style	implies simple statements or repetition of comments, ideas or particular goals accompanied by basically supportive non-verbal expressions entails some limited acceptance of the other party’s viewpoint in response to what has been stated sometimes create willing compliance rather than independent commitment tends to work best in coaching when the coach has a lot of knowledge or expertise and the coachee needs to learn from
A Selling/Promoting Style	literally selling or promoting a particular goal or outcome by describing it in the most positive terms done ethically by describing real benefits and advantages or unethically by distorting the information about the goal to achieve a result on any terms needs a strong sense of trust and can consequently sometimes run the risk of the other party feeling manipulated tends to work best in coaching when the coach is trying to lift deal with a performance shortfall or lift individual performance to a higher level

 

PULL STYLES OF COACHING Seek to draw out the message or issues to be delivered or communicated at a slower, gentler pace The fundamental aim is to primarily or mainly listen and respond to the coachee
An Educative / Expert Style	provision of information to help guide the coachee but it is likely to be information on what might be unknown to the other party rather than presented as superior knowledge the information needs to be relevant and reliable, and typically offered in a quiet non-directive way to a coachee tends to work best in coaching when the coach needs to impart from specialist information to a coachee or tactical options perhaps but leaving the coachee to decide for him of herself having considered the input
A Passive Involvement Style	means gently steering the conversation towards a goal or an outcome that has already been identified by the coachee entails considerable listening and paraphrasing and utilizing positive and encouraging language as much as possible tends to work best in coaching when the coachee is already knowledgeable and even knows that the options are but needs some minor levels of reassurance before acting independently

Coaching Styles Diagram

 

This grid shows four very different coaching style “types” as shown in the diagram.

• In each of these four quadrant headings are listed eight other adjectives
• adjectives listed above the dotted line describe what a coach typically does
• adjectives listed underneath the dotted line describe coaching behaviors that can occur if this style is used too much

 

Shared from:

http://blog.readytomanage.com/business-coaching-training/

Coaching Styles

January 4, 2013 by Dr. Jon Warner