A FINAL WORD ON COACHING THEORIES

WHY LANDSBERG’S THEORY WAS CROWNED KING

Choosing which theory to crown as King wasn’t easy, but I went with Landsberg’s Tao of Coaching because with some books you get excited by the title only to be disappointed by the contents. This isn’t the case with The Tao of Coaching. The book mixes some interesting theory and models with the story of an individual’s experiences as a coach.

Although the entries in this section offer different perspectives on the subject, there are some common themes to emerge. These are to:

• Discuss what expectations you and the person being coached have of each other. Agree the ground rules and boundaries for the coaching relationship. Get them to have a vision about what they could be and set goals that will help them to achieve this vision. Make sure these goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound) (see Theory 97).
• Choose the most appropriate method for coaching an individual/group. This may involve directing them, showing them what to do, suggesting ways they can do it or stimulating them to do it themselves. Whatever method you choose, see it through with conviction and commitment. Don’t think that confirming that expectations are being met is something you do at the end of the coaching session; it should be done frequently throughout a session. Elicit feedback not just on the outcome but on the process undertaken and be prepared to make changes if necessary.
• Accept that bad things happen. This might be lacking the resources to support a client, having to deal with conflict or finding that there is opposition to your ideas or methods. It’s how you deal with these incidents that will define you as a person as well as a coach.
• Encourage the person you are coaching to be willing to think outside of the box. Great ideas or learning experiences rarely happen as a result of people doing the same thing over and over again. Coaching people to be competent is okay but, supporting them to be creative is where the real value lies. Convince the person you are coaching that if they fail at a task, it doesn’t mean that you or the individual is a failure; it simply means that they have failed the task. Get them to analyse why they failed the task and what they can do differently the next time. Make sure that if they fail the task again they do it better than the time before. If the failure is down to your coaching then it’s up to you to analyse what you can do differently.
• Build a relationship that is based on respect and trust. If you have this relationship, you can challenge someone, set difficult tasks or ask provocative questions, both secure in the knowledge that this is being done with good intent.