The first coaching myth that needs to be shattered is the “coaching is
about telling people what to do”. I’m not sure why it’s so popular, but
it is a common notion for those not in the know. So to set the record
straight, ‘coaching’ doesn’t mean telling people what to do. Instead,
the coaching process is designed to help clients view themselves or
their presenting situations clearly enough so that they can best
determine what is going on and what is needed. Often, clients will ask
their coach for their ideas and suggestions on an issue and that is
perfectly appropriate to have the coach be a thinking partner – the
coach is their resource person, after all. In some extreme circumstances
however, the coach may need to be very directive for good reason. I’ve
had a few instances over the years where I have told a client very
clearly “no, you can’t do this”. These have been very unusual situations
– i.e. a client was contemplating a course of action that wasn’t legal;
a client too ill to work yet determined to continue on – and these are
the exception, not the rule. The thing to remember is coaching is about
working in partnership with the client, to build the client’s level of
awareness and responsibility!