Coaching Practice

Clean Language is a non-directive questioning approach that encourages a different and deeper way of thinking. The term ‘Clean Language’ was developed by David Grove in the early 1980’s, as a way of preserving the client’s experience with minimal interference by the therapist. Clean Language was initially used within the psychotherapy context but it now...

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Everyone feels overwhelmed from time to time. Sometimes it is simply a matter of volume of work. In this case, we can apply tried and tested practices: We can also aim to manage our energy efficiently, apportioning the times when we have most energy to the tasks that fall into the urgent and important quadrant,...

Read More Coping with work overload

How can I continue to develop as a coach? What to read There’s no shortage of reading material on coaching topics. Many of the leading coaches and writers on coaching produce frequent blogs and articles, which you can access for free. Each of the three main coaching professional bodies (ICF, AC and EMCC) has newsletters...

Read More Developing as a coach

There are lots of models of change, but this one can be particularly helpful when the learner is struggling to work out what to do or keeps experiencing setbacks to their plans. Essentially, Robert Dilts’ model proposes that change occurs at different levels of complexity and that it’s important to work on the appropriate level(s),...

Read More Dilts five levels of change

Accepting is the ability to allow things to be as they are, to abandon or put in abeyance the desire to change or confront. Accepting others for who they are is important within the context of coaching and mentoring: Mentors and mentees / coaches and coachees need to be able to accept each other; to...

Read More Accepting others for who they are

Studies have shown that overly altruistic motivations for coaching and mentoring tend to lead to more directive, unconsciously manipulative behaviours in the coach/mentor. “I want to put something back” or “I’ve got a lot of experience to share” may be altruistic in intent, but the underlying drivers are much more closely related to less noble...

Read More Advising

We are all creatures of habit – indeed, research suggests that, on average, 40% of our daily behaviour is habitual. Habits make life easier, because we don’t have to think about what we are doing or to spend time planning. But they come with a downside – when we want to break a habit (good...

Read More Breaking bad habits/developing willpower