Recently I published an introduction to the ASCEND COACHING METHOD. In that introduction I explained that there are seven phases, or steps that form the core of this new method. In part, these seven steps draw from proven coaching practices I have learned and used, but leverage sequence and structure I have seen used successfully in software development methodologies. The first step in the ASCEND COACHING METHOD is “Ask Questions”. This is the starting point for engagement with a client, and all later steps build on this foundational step. This step sounds straight forward, but let’s take a closer look to see how this step is actually implemented.
In the coaching industry, best questions tend to be open-ended questions. That is, questions that normally don’t have a “yes” or “no” as a response. According to Media College, an open-ended question is defined as “An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge and/or feelings. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single-word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions …Open-ended questions typically begin with words such as "Why" and "How", or phrases such as "Tell me about...". Often, they are not technically a question, but a statement which implicitly asks for a response”. If we accept this definition, we see that to implement this step, it is not just a matter of just asking questions, but asking the right questions. These questions need to uncover the vision, expectations, and current state of the client – NOT to impose the coach’s expectations, or assumptions on the client. This is an important distinction. The overall all goal of the coaching method is to empower the client. To implement this step successfully the coach needs to put aside their assumptions, and expectations of what the client needs, and enter into the initial engagement with an open mind. In the world of technology, and software development, this phase is referred to as the “requirements” phase, or the collection of stories phase (depending on the methodology used, waterfall, or Agile, scrum, etc.). Regardless of the labels used, the goal is the same. That is to meet with the client, and stakeholders to capture their vision of the future state, and understand in detail the current state so gaps can be identified, and effort estimated.
There is another important aspect to this step that is implied, and to be comprehensive in the description I need to call this out. Just as important as the asking of the right questions, the coach needs to listen with an open mind. In my years of coaching experience, I would call this skill to actively listen as being the single most important skill that a coach needs to serve their client, and be an effective coach. According to the US Department of State, there are four rules to actively listening. They are:
The Four Rules of Active Listening
1. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.
2. Be non-judgmental
3. Give your undivided attention to the speaker
4. Use silence effectively
A great coach will be a skilled active listener, and practices all of the above rules with their client in the “Ask Questions” step, and in all future dialogues.
If the coach asks the right types of questions, that is open-ended questions, and is an active listener, the client will provide a great deal of information regarding their hopes, aspirations, trials, blocks, frustrations, and goals. If a coach is skillful in asking of questions, and listening, they will let the client do most of the talking, and actively listen to what the client has to say, and take note of what the client has to say without judging the client or imposing pre-conceived expectations over the client. In short, a great coach will start with a blank slate, and let the client set their vision, their expectations, and their goals.
The aim of ASCEND COACHING METHOD is to empower the client. To deliver on this, a good coach needs to start by asking the right questions, that being open-ended questions. Questions that encourage the client to discuss their vision, expectations, goals, and blocks. They also need to set aside their own assumptions, and expectations, and be an active listener. Coaches will do this best when they exhibit the four precepts of an active listener. Being an active listener means you seek to understand the client first, avoid judging, you give undivided attention, and use silence effectively in dialogues with the client. By asking the right, open-ended questions, and by using best practices of an active listener, the coach will strive to capture the client’s vision, goals, needs, blocks, limitations, and current state. A skillful coach will devote enough time, patience, and effort to extract these critical items from the client. This is important as this first step of “Ask Questions” lays the foundation for the steps that follow in the ASCEND COACHING METHOD™. With the client information gathered in step one, we can begin an analysis to understand what the information gathered means in developing an overall approach to helping the client. We start the Assessment Phase.
AUTHOR: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC is a professional Career, and Executive Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
In the coaching industry, best questions tend to be open-ended questions. That is, questions that normally don’t have a “yes” or “no” as a response. According to Media College, an open-ended question is defined as “An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge and/or feelings. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single-word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions …Open-ended questions typically begin with words such as "Why" and "How", or phrases such as "Tell me about...". Often, they are not technically a question, but a statement which implicitly asks for a response”. If we accept this definition, we see that to implement this step, it is not just a matter of just asking questions, but asking the right questions. These questions need to uncover the vision, expectations, and current state of the client – NOT to impose the coach’s expectations, or assumptions on the client. This is an important distinction. The overall all goal of the coaching method is to empower the client. To implement this step successfully the coach needs to put aside their assumptions, and expectations of what the client needs, and enter into the initial engagement with an open mind. In the world of technology, and software development, this phase is referred to as the “requirements” phase, or the collection of stories phase (depending on the methodology used, waterfall, or Agile, scrum, etc.). Regardless of the labels used, the goal is the same. That is to meet with the client, and stakeholders to capture their vision of the future state, and understand in detail the current state so gaps can be identified, and effort estimated.
There is another important aspect to this step that is implied, and to be comprehensive in the description I need to call this out. Just as important as the asking of the right questions, the coach needs to listen with an open mind. In my years of coaching experience, I would call this skill to actively listen as being the single most important skill that a coach needs to serve their client, and be an effective coach. According to the US Department of State, there are four rules to actively listening. They are:
The Four Rules of Active Listening
1. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.
2. Be non-judgmental
3. Give your undivided attention to the speaker
4. Use silence effectively
A great coach will be a skilled active listener, and practices all of the above rules with their client in the “Ask Questions” step, and in all future dialogues.
If the coach asks the right types of questions, that is open-ended questions, and is an active listener, the client will provide a great deal of information regarding their hopes, aspirations, trials, blocks, frustrations, and goals. If a coach is skillful in asking of questions, and listening, they will let the client do most of the talking, and actively listen to what the client has to say, and take note of what the client has to say without judging the client or imposing pre-conceived expectations over the client. In short, a great coach will start with a blank slate, and let the client set their vision, their expectations, and their goals.
The aim of ASCEND COACHING METHOD is to empower the client. To deliver on this, a good coach needs to start by asking the right questions, that being open-ended questions. Questions that encourage the client to discuss their vision, expectations, goals, and blocks. They also need to set aside their own assumptions, and expectations, and be an active listener. Coaches will do this best when they exhibit the four precepts of an active listener. Being an active listener means you seek to understand the client first, avoid judging, you give undivided attention, and use silence effectively in dialogues with the client. By asking the right, open-ended questions, and by using best practices of an active listener, the coach will strive to capture the client’s vision, goals, needs, blocks, limitations, and current state. A skillful coach will devote enough time, patience, and effort to extract these critical items from the client. This is important as this first step of “Ask Questions” lays the foundation for the steps that follow in the ASCEND COACHING METHOD™. With the client information gathered in step one, we can begin an analysis to understand what the information gathered means in developing an overall approach to helping the client. We start the Assessment Phase.
AUTHOR: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC is a professional Career, and Executive Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
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