Coach the Person Not the Problem: A Review

The best coaches are really teachers. Marcia Reynolds writes, “The best coaches make us recognize we have gaps in our reasoning. The moment we become unsure of what we know learning happens. This is good coaching.”

Reynolds is a good coach. In Coach the Person Not the Problem: A Guide to Using Reflective Inquiry, she draws on learning theory, neuroscience, and her considerable experience in coaching to provide a practical and productive model for coaching--The Five Essential Coaching Practices.

She provides some interesting insights. For example, she writes, “Thinking is the enemy of the coach.” The work of analyzing the client’s story belongs to the client, not the coach. The role of the coach is to help the client revisit, review, and reframe the narrative in order to generate a learning moment and then to act on it.

Reynolds uses case studies to illustrate her observations and each chapter ends with “Three Tips” that apply the information in the chapter.

I certainly resonant with the model that Reynolds provides because it reflects what I am learning as a coach--coaching is not a linear process but an intricate dance with the client. Both coach and client are learning in this process.

This is a good resource for an experienced coach who is seeking a new perspective on his or her practice. I highly recommend it.

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