Hi,
This is a very common misunderstanding. I never explained this enough in all my coach training.
The answer is not necessarily yes!
When you are going to persuade someone, you must make them at ease. When they are comfortable, they listen to your words and feeling safe.
But when you are doing coaching, you can create some pressure. The pressure urges them to think and answer your questions. Sometimes a facial expression of being not very understanding can make your clients doing their best to explain further. This can be better than lots of follow-up questions.
The pressure you created can "force" people to think out of box or to think outside the "Black Dot" that I mentioned in classes.
I have always said that coaching is not for all. Only those who are willing to take their own responsibility and accountability is coachable. (Being not coachable doesn't mean that they are bad!)
Those who are coachable will respond positively to your pressure. Those who are not will not! If they are not coachable, do something else instead, like guiding, leading or instructing.
Coaching is NOT a replacement for all other people management skills!
Keith
Explore, Exceed & Excel
Updated & Revised on Sept 14 2007
