“Coach Approach”: What Does It Really Mean?

” When leaders utilize ‘coach approach’, they’ll become much more effective and influential in their leadership. “

Atip Muangsuwan
CEO Coach and Coach Supervisor

In my previous website articles, I often mentioned the term, “Coach Approach”. So, what does it really mean?

Imagine a leader who doesn’t just dictate but listens, asks powerful questions, reflects, empowers, and shares without attachment. This is the essence of the “Coach Approach,” a leadership style that is crucial for present and future leaders to become even much more effective and influential in their roles.

The 5 Key Components of “Coach Approach”

1. Listening

Picture a conversation where the leader is fully present, utilizing both Active Listening and Deep Listening. Active listening is about accurately receiving and responding to the speaker’s message, while deep listening connects on a profound level to understand the speaker’s true essence and emotions. Both are invaluable, but deep listening requires a higher level of presence and empathy.

Active listening and deep listening are both essential skills for effective communication, but they differ in their depth and approach:

Active Listening

• Focus: Concentrates on understanding the speaker’s words and responding appropriately.
• Techniques: Includes nodding, maintaining eye contact, summarizing, and asking clarifying questions.
• Goal: Ensures the speaker feels heard and understood, and helps in accurately receiving the message.

Deep Listening

• Focus: Goes beyond the words to understand the underlying emotions, intentions, motivations, and context.
• Techniques: Involves being fully present, empathetic, and open-minded, often requiring silence and patience.
• Goal: Builds a deeper connection and understanding, fostering trust and empathy.

2. Asking Questions

Imagine asking questions not just to gather information but to evoke awareness for the person you’re talking to. A “Powerful Question” is a tool that provokes deep thought, reflection, and insight. It challenges assumptions, encourages exploration, opens up new perspectives, and shifts mindsets.

Here are some characteristics of powerful questions:

• Open-ended: They cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Instead, they invite elaboration and discussion.
• Thought-provoking: They stimulate curiosity and encourage deeper thinking.
• Relevant: They are pertinent to the context and the individual’s situation.
• Empowering: They encourage the person to think for themselves and find their own solutions.

Examples of powerful questions include:

• “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”
• “What is the most important lesson you have learned in life?”
• “How can you turn this challenge into an opportunity?”

3. Reflecting

Envision yourself as a mirror, providing reflections that enhance the person’s self-awareness, leading to their growth and transformation.

Techniques for Effective Reflecting:

• Paraphrasing: The coach restates what the coachee has said in their own words, focusing on the key points and emotions. For example, if the coachee says, “I feel overwhelmed with my workload,” the coach might reflect, “It sounds like you’re feeling a lot of pressure from your responsibilities.”
• Summarizing: The coach provides a concise summary of the coachee’s main points, helping to clarify and organize their thoughts. This can be particularly useful at the end of a session to reinforce key takeaways.
• Empathic Reflection: The coach reflects the coachee’s emotions, showing empathy and understanding. For instance, “I can sense that this situation is really frustrating for you.”
• Highlighting Patterns: The coach identifies and reflects recurring themes or patterns in the coachee’s behavior or thinking. This can help the coachee recognize habits or beliefs that may be influencing their actions.

4. Empowering

Think about how you can empower someone by both supporting and challenging them. Support them with recognition and acknowledgment, and challenge their assumptions, limiting beliefs, perceptions, and worldviews. Striking a balance between support and challenge based on individual needs and contexts is key.

Example of challenge and support might be:

“I know this is a big step for you, but I believe you have the skills to succeed. I’ll be here to support you, and together we’ll develop a strategy to ensure you’re well-prepared.”

5. Sharing

Picture sharing your information, experiences, and stories without attachment. This basically means that if the person doesn’t buy in or apply what you share, you remain neutral, maintaining equanimity. Your feelings stay balanced because you don’t attach to the outcomes of what you share.

Example of Sharing Without Attachment:

Imagine you’re coaching a coachee who is struggling with work-life balance. You decide to share a personal story about how you managed to achieve a better balance in your own life. Here’s how you might approach it:

Sharing Your Story:

“I remember a time when I was overwhelmed with work and felt like I had no time for myself or my family. I decided to set clear boundaries and prioritize my well-being. I started by scheduling ‘me time’ every day, even if it was just for 30 minutes. This small change made a huge difference in my overall happiness and productivity.”

Maintaining Equanimity:

After sharing your story, you notice that your coachee seems hesitant to adopt the same approach. Instead of feeling disappointed or frustrated, you remain neutral and supportive. You might say:

“I understand that my approach might not work for everyone. It’s important to find what resonates with you and fits your unique situation. Let’s explore other strategies that might help you achieve the balance you’re looking for.”

In this example, you share your experience without being attached to the outcome. Whether the coachee decides to follow your approach or not, you maintain a balanced and neutral stance, focusing on their needs and preferences. This approach fosters a supportive and non-judgmental coaching environment, allowing the coachee to find their own path to success.

The main reasons why the “Coach Approach” is one of the most effective communication tools (if not the best) are as follows:

1. It’s a dialogue or two-way communication.
2. It’s a dialogue with purpose or objective.
3. It’s a goal-oriented and action-oriented conversation.
4. It’s a client-centered approach.
5. It’s a personalized approach, not “one size fits all” approach.
6. It’s an insight-based or wisdom-based conversation.
7. It’s a self-awareness-evoking conversation.
8. It’s a future-focused or forward-thinking conversation.
9. It’s a conversation that provides you with options, alternatives, flexibility and your own free-will.
10. It’s a powerful, meaningful and hopeful conversation.

So, what do you think about the “Coach Approach“? Have you ever heard of it or used it in your leadership journey before? If you haven’t, let’s explore this transformative leadership approach in one of our upcoming coaching engagements.

About Atip Muangsuwan: Atip Muangsuwan is the Founder & CEO of The Best Coach International Co., Ltd. He is a CEO & UHNWI Coach, Certified Mentor & Supervisor for global executive coaches, Holistic Life Transformation Expert, Business & Life Strategist, and Corporate Facilitator/Trainer. With a proven track record of helping clients achieve their career goals and job promotions, Atip is dedicated to supporting individuals in their personal and professional growth.