Practising coaches building their practice
Human beings initiate change when they feel discomfort or dissatisfaction. So, in principle, a coaching or mentoring conversation that doesn’t involve some level of discomfort is likely to lead to less significant change than one that does. However, we also tend to avoid discomfort, especially if it is elevated to become pain. We also tend...
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Everyone has some beliefs that they hold onto, even when logic suggests that this is irrational. For the most part, these are harmless and are simply part of our identity. For example, the theories of reflexology and homeopathy have both been thoroughly debunked as nonsense. However, unless the practitioner puts the client in danger by (more…)
Read More What to do when a coaching client has strong beliefs that limit their thinking
Talking to oneself is both more common and more useful than we expect. Studies at the University of Nevada suggest that up to 80% of our mental experiences relate to conscious or unconscious, unspoken verbal conversations. Other research shows that the words we use have a substantial impact on what we observe. So much so...
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Read More It’s official – talking to yourself is good for you
Questions about questions If there is a question a coach can ask that qualifies as the most irritating to clients, it would surely be: “If you did have the answer, what would it be?” It’s probably ingrained, like the writing in a stick of rock, in the bones of robotic coaches. Of course, there are...
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Second wave coaching and mentoring In the recent years and particularly in the past 18 months or so, many organisations have been taking a close look at the way they approach coaching and mentoring. They are driven by two reasons. One is that the economic climate has put every discretionary spend under the microscope of...
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Group mentoring is a relatively recent innovation. It is typically used in situations, where the demand for mentors outstrips the supply. In a typical group mentoring programme, the mentees might meet on their own once a month, acting as peer mentors and agreeing topics they want to bring collectively for discussion with their mentor. They...
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One of the key supports for mentoring programmes is having a cadre of highly experienced mentors, who new mentors can lean on and learn from. In some programmes, these mentors take on much of the burden of new mentor development, shifting the balance from classroom learning towards ad hoc, situationally based learning. So what makes...
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As the world struggles with recession and uncertainty, mentoring has a major role to play in helping people focus on personal and business priorities and to maintain confidence in their ability to face the future. The start of a new year is a good time for program managers to step back and reflect; and perhaps...
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Read More New Year’s resolutions for mentoring program managers
The Mentoring Expert Webinars with David Clutterbuck and Lis Merrick are designed to provide continuing support and development for mentors. They are available to any mentoring programme, whether in-company or for a professional association or not-for-profit. Each is designed to last for 60 minutes, including 15 minutes of questions. Participants are also encouraged to send in their experiences...
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Arguably the most common cause of problems coaches bring to supervision is mismatch of expectations at the contracting stage of the relationship. Inexperienced coaches, in particular, tend to see the client and their issues in a linear way – the client something they need to address and the coach’s job is to help them find...
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Read More Managing the three way contract in executive coaching and mentoring
