Breakthrough Coaching: A Review

Looking for a master class in coaching? Check out Breakthrough Coaching: Creating Lightbulb Moments in Your Coaching Conversations by Marcia Reynolds, a masterful coach. The book is a fresh look at the basics of coaching written to encourage and challenge the practitioner.

Key topics are:

· How to Embody a Coaching Mindset
· Maintaining a Client-Centered Focus
· What Is Their Desired Outcome Really?
· Debugging the Operating System
· Turning Insights into Commitments

An example of her approach is the way that she addresses empathy. She explains,

“Empathy doesn’t mean getting caught up in people’s emotions and dramas. There is a difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is absorbing another’s emotions. . .. Empathy is understanding. You have empathy when you witness what they are sharing without judging or analyzing how they are reacting.”

She encourages compassion but takes a strong stand on the creativity and ability of each client to address their concerns: “Compassion is the energy they feel from you when you respect, care for, and enjoy the amazing human you have the honor of coaching.”

Of course, she reminds us, “You might feel the need to take care of them. It is not your job to fix or heal them. Your job is to help them better understand why they feel what they do and how this relates to what they want to create for themselves going forward. If you interrupt the process by taking care of them with comforting words or advice, or you run to get a tissue without offering it first, you weaken their power.”

We often critique the use of “closed questions” that might solicit a simple “Yes” or “No.” Reynolds explains, “Closed questions are important to acknowledge the direction of the conversation. They can be used to test the validity of a reflective statement. They provide clarity by getting confirmation of thoughts and insights. Even in these situations, clients tend to provide more information, not a one-word answer.”

Examples of her short but pointed observations include these:

“Coaching activates the brain. Giving advice pacifies it.”

“The smarter the person, the greater the need for coaching.”

Wherever you are in your coaching journey, Reynolds will provide fresh insight and understanding.

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