The value of a well-considered coaching conversation [The Five C’s]

We believe that coaching conversations should generate real value for people being coached, both on an individual and an organisational level. By drawing on their own experiences, a coach can guide a coachee towards greater commitment, confidence, and control, among other things. This process fosters self-reflection and can be truly transformative. Let’s delve into how we can ensure coaching conversations provide maximum value. 

What are coaching conversations? 

Coaching conversations are goal-oriented dialogues between someone who wants to develop or learn something and someone who uses their expertise to help that person learn, grow, and develop. These conversations can be formal or informal, and range in format, duration, and interval. 

Also read: What makes a good trainer? 

This is how you conduct a coaching conversation 

Many use the GROW model to conduct coaching conversations. This model outlines a typical conversation between a coach and a coachee, covering the Goal, the Reality of the current situation, their Options, and the Will to take Action. 

Read our article on the GROW model to get a better understanding of how to use this in your day-to-day operations. 

The importance of active listening and open-ended questions 

To get the most out of your coaching sessions, you should use active listening and open-ended questions as your primary tools. This is a powerful way to explore challenges and identify solutions. As the saying goes, coaching is 90% listening and 10% talking. As the coach, your role is to be an active listener and facilitate a learning environment where the participant feels embraced and valued. An essential part of this is to remain curious throughout the coaching sessions. When you come from a place of curiosity instead of judgment, self-reflection can flourish and new solutions can emerge. 

The five C’s of coaching 

When you’re coaching, keep the five C’s in mind as you put these tools into practice. Here’s an overview of each C and some practical tips and questions to use in coaching or training sessions. 

Commitment 

The coach creates a supportive learning environment by promoting commitment to sessions. This is essential for the productivity of the learning session, where the ultimate goal is to create personal or organisational results. By fostering commitment, you create an environment that values engagement and self-improvement, and reduces the potentially negative effects of comparing oneself to others.

Communication

A coach communicates clearly and precisely, both verbally and non-verbally, to their coachees. It’s important to be clear about the purpose of the session before you start. Additionally, giving continuous feedback provides clarity on how you feel and how the coachee is feeling during the learning process. This practice develops the coachee’s interpersonal skills and supports their interactions with others.

Concentration

The coach helps the coachee to focus on the right things at the right time. This helps them avoid distractions and enables them to direct their attention towards specific actions, situations, or events that matter most.

Control 

Coaching for control focuses on optimising the coachee’s ability to manage their emotions before and during a performance. A key factor in developing control is understanding the need of compassion. Compassion and self-compassion mean being kind to oneself and acknowledging that feedback is difficult to give and receive. This creates a caring learning environment. As a couch, you help the coachee achieve a desired state of alertness and readiness, as well as the ability to quickly reset after a mistake. 

Confidence 

Confidence is not static; it fluctuates. Therefore, it is a coach’s responsibility to strengthen the coachee’s belief in their ability to perform a skill to a desired level. The goal is to build mental resilience and improve the overall state of mind so they feel they can perform well.

Creating a open learning environment is key to a productive coaching conversation.

This goal of coaching conversations

It should have a purpose

Every coaching conversation should have a clear objective. Be purposeful when you structure the conversation, using tools that guide the coachee towards their goals. The conversation should facilitate growth, learning, and development. 

It should focus on solutions 

Be goal and solution-oriented in your approach. This will trigger self-reflection and enable the coachee to explore and discover their own solutions to challenges. Creative thinking and problem-solving will maximise the potential for these innovative solutions. 

This is also a great opportunity to discover or discuss barriers to learning that might hamper performance, and, most importantly, find a workable solution to negate their effects. Coaching will then lead to improved outcomes that benefit performance, satisfaction, or other areas. 

It’s not a dialogue, but a conversation

Finally, remember that the coaching conversation should be question-driven and collaborative. It’s not about giving advice, it’s about asking the right questions and actively listening. This ensures the coachee is an active participant in their own development, fostering and encouraging accountability. 

As a couch, you should foster self-reflection

A coaching conversation is a structured, purposeful conversation designed to facilitate growth, learning, and development. Instead of offering straight answers, you should create an environment that encourages self-reflection and empower the coachee to identify fresh perspectives on challenges. This process of self-discovery is the actual goal of coaching conversations, as it builds the coachee’s capacity for independent problem-solving. 

Sources: Leading from Within: Five C’s of a Great Coaching Conversation 

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