13 The Thinking Coach

The Role of a Thinking Coach

Before we close the section on clarity, I want to introduce the very important concept of a thinking coach. This person plays a valuable role throughout the entire critical thinking process but is most necessary during clarity. Although you don't have to be a thinking coach to be a successful critical thinker, it's important to master this position if you want to help others think critically.

Your responsibility as a thinking coach is to get others to think and answer questions so that they can achieve clarity and generate ideas. You do this by asking questions—but there's one important caveat: you cannot comment on their answers. You don't make suggestions. You don't smile, wince, or judge responses. During clarity, your job as a thinking coach is focused on only one goal—for the person you're coaching to get clear. For example, if faster is defined as “one more than I'm doing now” for the person you're coaching, and that's clear, then all is good—even if you think it should be five more. In this scenario, your opinion doesn't matter. You must take the indifferent attitude of “I really don't care what your problem is or how you solve it; I only care that you are clear about your problem.”

Being a thinking coach is actually much easier if you don't have any experience with the problem, because you won't be tempted to make suggestions or advise. When you have been through or have deep knowledge of a certain situation, it can be difficult to sit back and listen to someone think about it aloud. After all, we like to help. You get the urge to say, “Hey, how about just doing it this way?” But imparting your own view won't do anything to help the other person think and gain clarity.

Why Be a Thinking Coach?

If you're in a position of leadership, management, or supervising; if you run meetings or projects; if you have children or peers who look to you for advice—then one of your jobs is thinking coach. If you can do this, then you've taught a tremendous skill and have performed a great service for your student. Your reward? When others are thinking critically, they'll get more work done, with better quality—and you won't have to think as hard, because others are thinking, too.

Examples of a Thinking Coach

Let's say someone says to you, “I have a goal to increase my productivity.” As a thinking coach, you might have the following exchange:

In essence, you are using critical thinking tools without mentioning critical thinking. You ask questions, and he or she gets clear. Of course, it's far easier if he or she knows about critical thinking. Then you can just say, “Hey, let's use some critical thinking; I'll play the role of a thinking coach”—and off you go.

If You Have the Experience, Why Not Communicate That?

Your goal as a thinking coach is to pull ideas from the person you are helping. You will likely come to a point when you wonder: Is it easier, more efficient, and sometimes better just to give an answer? After all, if you've done something a hundred times, why go through the agony—and risk—of the other person's learning curve?

Your experience is one of the most valuable assets you have—so there's nothing wrong with communicating your experience and giving advice. Just know that when you do that, you have changed roles. You are no longer a thinking coach; you are part of the headscratching team. That's a good role, too, but it's not a thinking coach. There are only two reasons to be a thinking coach:

• To teach how to understand and analyze a problem using critical thinking
• To generate an idea about which you have not thought or an idea about something you don't know

If your goal is to solve a problem quickly, your best play is to be part of the problem-solving team, not a thinking coach.

Ten Rules of a Thinking Coach

Here are 10 rules for being a thinking coach. You must obey all of them to fulfill this role appropriately:

1. Explain your role as a thinking coach.
2. Don't take on this position if you are in a rush.
3. Only ask open-ended questions.
4. Pretend you know nothing about the subject matter.
5. Don't ask questions that lead the other person in the direction of your idea.
6. Always wait for an answer to your question.
7. Listen to the response and ask clarifying questions.
8. Allow the person you are helping to think out loud.
9. Keep in mind that all responses have merit.
10. Know that if you comment or give an idea or a suggestion, your coaching session is over.

Getting Started with Being a Thinking Coach

Here are a few roles fit for a thinking coach:

• Facilitator: Help one or more people get clear on an issue in a headscratching (critical thinking) session.
• Self-coach: When you want to think critically, and there's no one to help you, you have to become your own thinking coach. You can ask the tough question, but then you have to answer. (Note: This application requires an extraordinary amount of self-discipline.)
• Homework helper: If you have kids who ask you to help them with their homework, is it better to give the answer or help them figure out how to get to the answer? This is a situation where you need to be a thinking coach.
• Manager, supervisor, and leader: When someone comes to you for help, advice, a solution, or an opinion, you have the option to give just that; or, you can talk about how to figure it out. If you want the latter, have a thinking coach session.