As Sir John Whitmore, a leading figure in the field of coaching, famously said skilled coaching involves “unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance.” The role of the coach, therefore, is to offer the space, the ears and the tools.

In this blog, we’re looking at the advantages of coaching, both personally and professionally, what coaching can help with, the process for coaching and how, at Think EQ, we work with people to emotionally connect to their goal to bring about lasting, transformational change.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a process in which a trained professional works with an individual or a group to help them set and achieve specific goals, improve their performance, and enhance their overall well-being. A 2018 ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study showed that 66% of employees who received coaching reported higher job satisfaction, while 80% reported improved self-confidence. It was also credited as having a positive impact on employee engagement and retention rates.

Working with a coach can help with:

Goal setting: Coaches help individuals clarify their goals, whether they are related to career, relationships, personal growth, or any other area of life. They assist in creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, which provide a clear direction and focus for development efforts.

Accountability: Coaches help individuals stay accountable to their goals by providing support, encouragement, and feedback. They hold individuals responsible for their actions and help them overcome obstacles and challenges along the way.

Self-awareness: Coaches facilitate self-reflection and self-awareness, helping individuals gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, values, beliefs, and areas for improvement. This heightened self-awareness can lead to better decision-making, improved interpersonal relationships, and increased confidence.

Skill development: Coaches can assist individuals in identifying and developing the skills necessary to succeed in their chosen areas. They can provide guidance, resources, and strategies to enhance specific skills or competencies, such as leadership, communication, time management, or emotional intelligence.

Overcoming limitations: Coaches help individuals identify and overcome limiting beliefs, self-doubt, and fears that may hinder their growth and development. They provide a supportive environment for exploring and challenging these limitations, fostering personal and professional breakthroughs.

Performance improvement: Coaches work with individuals to improve their performance in various domains, such as career, sports, or creative endeavors. They help individuals identify areas for improvement, set action plans, and provide ongoing support to enhance performance and achieve desired outcomes.

Well-being and work-life balance: Coaches focus not only on professional development but also on overall well-being and work-life balance. They assist individuals in finding a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in all aspects of life, helping them manage stress, set boundaries, and prioritise self-care.

What happens in coaching?

In coaching, you will work to identify aspects of your life or work that you wish to see change in. Your coach will use proven techniques to guide and support you to identify these areas and to help support you in creating goals to work towards. During your sessions, you may explore your ambitions and desires, as well as the areas that may be holding you back from moving forwards. When considering choosing a coach, check that they are trained and accredited with a professional body such as the Association for Coaching. This means that they adhere to a strict set of ethics and competencies, are trained to a high level and act with integrity and professionalism.

The first of your sessions will be ‘discovery’ – perhaps visioning and goal setting. Sessions thereafter will be focused around progress towards the achievement of the goal. On or around session 5, we’re talking about sustainability with clients. In essence, we are challenging them to consider how will they move forward and maintain their progress without the support of a coach. Goals are achieved by the client, not by the coach and therefore sustainability and autonomy really matter.

What is the Think EQ approach to coaching?

The Think EQ approach is one focused around emotional connection. We strongly believe that in order to make change, goals are triggered by both emotions and a desire to effect change from that feeling or emotion. That’s why we are huge fans of the EQ-i 2.0 – it is the only scientifically validated tool in the world that can accurately measure emotional intelligence. Self-awareness is the first step in creating lasting change and this tool really acts as the catalyst for goal setting.

How long should the coaching process take?

At Think EQ, our coaching programmes typically take six sessions, over a period of around six months. We believe that this is the optimum time to set and achieve goals in an accelerated timeframe. The overall purpose is to move the client towards the achievement of their goals. As such, a programme should have a defined end. We want change to happen and we want our clients’ to reach their goals.

Why coaching should matter to organisations:

Whilst there are a huge amount of studies available that outline the benefits and advantages to the individual, one very important piece of research identifies the benefits to the organisation. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), coaching resulted in a median ROI (Return on Investment) of seven times the initial investment, with 25% of coaching clients reporting a ROI of 10 to 49 times the cost. It is clear to see that coaching does not only benefit the individual, but the organisation and its performance too.

Coaching for all:

When we started Think EQ back in 2008, coaching was a perk reserved for leaders in big business. It was sometimes also used for remedial on punitive purposes. Thankfully, since then, we have seen the emergence of coaching as a positive tool for career development. The benefits are clear to see across all career stages, roles and sectors. We believe that coaching should be for everyone, regardless of occupation or career stage. We work with early careers and middle managers to experienced leaders tasked with driving the culture from the top. Through our Foundation, we also provide coaching opportunities to the third sector.

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Visual coaching recognises the power of visuals in stimulating creativity, improving clarity, and promoting insight. It allows coaches and clients to go beyond verbal dialogue and tap into the visual thinking and processing abilities of the brain. By incorporating visuals, visual coaching aims to make abstract concepts more tangible, complex ideas more accessible, and goals and strategies more visible.

Why adopt a visual coaching method?

This type of coaching can be particularly hlpful for individuals who are visual learners or who find it challenging to express themselves solely through words. It can provide a different perspective, spark creativity, and unlock new insights and possibilities. It is often used in personal coaching, executive coaching, career coaching, and team coaching to foster self-awareness, goal setting, problem-solving, and action planning.

In a visual coaching session, a coach may use visual tools to help clients explore their thoughts, emotions, and goals. They may ask clients to draw or sketch their ideas, create mind maps to organise their thoughts, or use metaphors and symbols to represent their experiences. The artefacts created during the coaching process serve as visual reminders, reflections, and references for clients to refer back to and deepen their learning.

What software is available to support you?

There are several software options available, depending on your specific needs and preferences. Here are a few popular choices:

1. Miro: Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard platform that allows you to create visual representations, mind maps, diagrams, and more. It offers real-time collaboration features, making it suitable for remote sessions.
2. Sketchboard: Sketchboard is another online collaborative whiteboard tool designed specifically for visual thinking, coaching, and agile collaboration. It provides a range of drawing and diagramming tools to help you visualize ideas and concepts.
3. Lucidchart: Lucidchart is a web-based diagramming software that allows you to create flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, and other visual representations. It offers a user-friendly interface and collaboration features for remote coaching sessions.
4. Microsoft Whiteboard: Microsoft Whiteboard is a digital canvas available as part of Microsoft 365. It allows you to create and share drawings, sketches, and notes in real-time. It can be useful when working with clients who already use Microsoft’s productivity suite.
5. Zoom: While primarily known as a video conferencing tool, Zoom also offers a virtual whiteboard feature. You can use Zoom’s whiteboard functionality to draw diagrams, annotate documents, and collaborate visually during coaching sessions.
6. Adobe Creative Cloud: If you require more advanced visual capabilities, Adobe Creative Cloud tools like Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop can be used for creating detailed visual materials or enhancing existing visuals.

Remember to choose a software that aligns with your coaching needs, supports collaboration if necessary, and is user-friendly for both you and your clients. It’s often helpful to experiment with different options to find the one that suits you best.

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In today’s world, credibility is everything. Whilst you don’t need to be a qualified coach to have an effective coaching conversation, there are 5 coaching skills that actually drive high performance and leave your team members feeing super-charged and in control of their own development, having been listened to and valued. These conversations, we promise, will help you have great conversations that help build an engaged and motivated staff ready to help you achieve your strategic objectives.

So why should you take time to follow a structure and how can you have meaningful and effective conversations with your team members that bring about lasting change? Here are our top tips:

1. Listen with intent
2. Be curious
3. Ask the right questions
4. Create an inspirational goal
5. Push your coachee towards an action

Coaching Skill 1 – Listen

To listen deeply is to deeply understand

Great conversations start with an ability to listen deeply and with intent. This might seem obvious. I mean, conversations in general start with someone talking and someone listening. But how often do we truly listen without any distractions at all? You’d be surprised at how often distraction creeps into a conversation. You might be seemingly listening intently, but be aware of your own behaviours. Are you perhaps pre-empting their answer or thinking about what they should be saying? Are you listening deeply with the intention of gleaning some points to think of an amazing next question to ask? Stephen Covey famously said in his book, The 7 Habits of highly Effective People, that ‘“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” If you’re thinking of the next question, you’re not listening.

Be aware of the tone of their language. Is what they’re saying in alignment with their emotional expression? I.e. does the tone reflect the body language? Be aware of gestures and metaphors. Always ask for more.

Coaching Skill 2 – Be Curious

Curious conversations lead to greater understanding

This isn’t us asking you to be nosey. Having a curiosity, with real interest and open question approach will allow you to ask your partner to really consider their answer and answer more fully. What happens when people answer more fully? They develop a greater understanding of themselves and their current reality and, from there, can start to think about goals that will inspire them to achieve and the actions they need to take to get them there.

Coaching Skill 3 – Ask the Right Questions

Asking the right questions starts with listening to what’s being said

When we are introducing coaching as a concept, we start with a structure. We like to use the Full Potential Group CIGAR format to structure our basic coaching conversations. It starts with an exploration of the coaches ‘current reality’. From there, we move onto ‘ideal reality’ and then ‘gaps’, ‘action’ and ‘review’. It introduces the concept of visioning, asking the coachee to think about where they are now and what life will be like when they get to their ideal reality. The ‘ideal’ should be achieveable and inspire them to take action.

Coaching Skill 4: Set inspirational goals

Inspirational should still be achievable. When setting goals, we use the SMRT model. Your action should be specific and tangible, realistic and timed. As an example:

I will generate £50,000 of new business by the end of the year.

This is specific, measurable (because it can be quantified with a number), it is realistic based on current business performance and I have put a deadline on it.

Having a SMRT goal is only the first step however. Without check ins on the progress towards achievement of the goal, it is simply a dream.

Coaching Skill 5: Action!

Using our ‘5 coaching skills that actually drive high performance’ approach will certainly give you a framework to start having productive developmental conversations.

If, if course, you want to become a coach, a professional coaching qualification can indeed set you apart from the competition. Giving you a grounding in the concepts of coaching, with the ethics and competencies of the Association for Coaching and with real-life coaching practise, our Accredited Award in Coach training will provide you with the tools you need to get started as a professional coach, be it in your own organisation or as an external coach running your own business. You can find out more about what our coach training programme is like from Sophie’s case study.

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