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Effective Modern Coaching
Written by one of the world's leading business coaches, this book provides authoritative and proven guidance and techniques for any manager, executive or indeed coach who wants to bring out the full potential of their employees and clients through coaching. Individual performance is a cornerstone of corporate performance and the need to achieve more - be that productivity or innovation - from fewer is becoming increasingly vital. Coaching is a demonstrably successful approach to helping individuals to perform to higher levels. This book aims to develop managers and executives into great coaches, who can transform the performance of individuals and teams in their organizations. The author looks at the art of coaching from different perspectives and provides practical tips and models (such as the "Spectrum of Coaching Skills" and "GROW"). It also includes sample dialogues of how to handle various coaching situations. FURTHER 'Effective Coaching' has been the cornerstone of executive coaching practice over the last twenty years. It is the book upon which, all other coaching practices and methods have been built. The simple concept of 'performance as a function of potential minus interference' is still at the heart of what every coach does. The TGROW process has been copied and copied again in different formats; trainings; and leadership programmes the world over. Executive coaching all started with 'Effective Coaching'. Myles, has also been instrumental in developing executive coaching as the main-stream occupational profession that it is today. 'Effective Modern Coaching' builds on the basic principals, bringing thirty years experience to life in a fresh look at the coaching challenges we face today in the modern world. Mark Hookey, Director, Performance Management, Talent Management and Learning, Swiss Re A seminal work that positions coaching where it needs to be...driving performance. I have used this work in leadership programmes in many different sectors and countries and it resonates with all. The only coaching text you need. Simon Day, Qatar Gas Effective Coaching has had a profound influence on the way I coach and support my teams. Tom Denwood, Major Programme Leader, Health and Social Care Information Centre 'Myles Downey wrote one of the defining books on an oft misunderstood profession in 'Effective Coaching'. Calling on a lineage that goes back to the very beginning of coaching as a professional offering, Myles then adds he own inimitable voice as coach, thought leader, developer of Enabling Genius and the ground breaking e-coach. If you buy one book on coaching this year make it this one.' Cliff Kimber, Founding Partner BigBlueStuff They still talk a lot about coaching. Plenty of people write coach on their business cards. It seems to me that most of them sincerely err. Fortunately, there is Myles Downey, a founder of School of coaching, whose coaching experience exceeds 25 years. Myles has written Effective Lessons from the Coach s Coach , the book essential for current understanding of coaching. Myles Downey s concept is a literal realization of coaching idea itself. His approach is fundamental, practical, modern and persistently connected with those who have attained maximum understanding of how humans learn. Pavel Kiryukhantsev, CEO, Zest Leaders As a leader in fast growing markets I find that achieving great outcomes is largely determined by how well I support the growth of helpful skills and behaviours, both with clients and with our own people. To that end Effective Coaching is the most powerful and practical toolset that I have yet found for maintaining truly effective conversations and high quality dialogue. Jonathan Man. Executive Director IDM Business School, South Africa and Botswana
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2016
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282 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 16, 2020
Really outstanding book with incredibly insight to modern day coaching. The content in this book will have a major influence on my career and will be utilized in my work moving forward. It was a breath of fresh air as “ coaching “ is a term I refrain from using, but have found a renewed perspective for.
I will recommend this book to any fellow colleague in the coaching/baseball profession.
I will recommend this book to any fellow colleague in the coaching/baseball profession.
January 11, 2020
Why this book: Strongly recommended by my friend Jay Hennessey and selected as a reading for the Cleveland Indians.
Summary in 3 sentences: Provides Myles Downey’s philosophy of coaching after several decades of work with a variety of clients. The coach's goal is to create a connection and environment that helps the coachee - who he calls the “player” - better understand his/her situation and make and commit to better decisions. He uses such terms as “following interest” with the player, non-directive coaching, and reducing “interference” from “self one” in helping the player to relax and perform at their best
My Impressions: This is one of the best, if not the best of the few books I've read on coaching. I liked that it included some technique, but also a general philosophy of what a coach’s role is, and how the coach best serves the coachee - who the author calls “the player” - finding the word coachee awkward and uncomfortable. The author’s approach is personal and easy to follow - almost as if he were talking to you and a group of others interested in being better coaches. Though the book focuses on developing executive and leader coaches, it also makes clear that some aspects of coaching are key skills for every leader and manager - to the degree that they want to help develop get the best out of their people. A well done book.
To read the rest of this review, go to: https://bobsbeenreading.wordpress.com...
Summary in 3 sentences: Provides Myles Downey’s philosophy of coaching after several decades of work with a variety of clients. The coach's goal is to create a connection and environment that helps the coachee - who he calls the “player” - better understand his/her situation and make and commit to better decisions. He uses such terms as “following interest” with the player, non-directive coaching, and reducing “interference” from “self one” in helping the player to relax and perform at their best
My Impressions: This is one of the best, if not the best of the few books I've read on coaching. I liked that it included some technique, but also a general philosophy of what a coach’s role is, and how the coach best serves the coachee - who the author calls “the player” - finding the word coachee awkward and uncomfortable. The author’s approach is personal and easy to follow - almost as if he were talking to you and a group of others interested in being better coaches. Though the book focuses on developing executive and leader coaches, it also makes clear that some aspects of coaching are key skills for every leader and manager - to the degree that they want to help develop get the best out of their people. A well done book.
To read the rest of this review, go to: https://bobsbeenreading.wordpress.com...
June 2, 2015
Best book on coaching I've read so far.
February 9, 2021
Recommended by a friend, i gave it a try and i must say that this book provides a lot of perspective and it can be of a majot influence if the techniques mentioned in a book are used at a workplace in a correct manner.
Let's start with the simple definition of coaching as mentioned by Downey.
'IT IS AN ART OF FACILITATING THE PERFORMANCE, LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANOTHER.'
Being a manager comes with tons of responsibilities and duites and being able to coach the team members to bring out the full potential of employees through coaching so that they can perform to higher levels and eventually together achieving great outcome as a team.
This book is all about what a coach should and should not do and what techniques are correct for a coach to use in everyday work life.
Before i come to the do and don't for a coach, let me clear the air by writing down the motives of the coaching or instead i should say Effective Coaching. It is indeed an art of facilitating the performance of the players (Downey address the coachee as a player) and making sure that every Project that the team is handling involves the developmeny of each individual in a team.
Coaching happens all the time around us. Everything a person is discussing with another how to do something, that's coaching.
A Model that made a lot of sense in this book is
POTENTIAL (minus) INTERFERENCE = PERFORMANCE.
Potential is something that we all have within and how our performance turns out to be depends on how much we make use of it. However, keeping in mind, there are a lot of factors that can serve as interference, could be internal or external, that hinders our performance such as fear, botedom, anger. And external could be a person telling you that you are not good enough.
So as we see, As the interference is decreased, more potential is available.
Coming back to EFFECTIVE COACHING, the role of a coach in this scenario is to reduce the interference by creating an environment that's motivated, fun and non judgemental.
Now let's come to the do's and don'ts which are very crucial.
The four major things Downey has mentioned and emphasised on are as follows-
1- Really LISTEN
2-ask a lot of questions
3- spent a lot of time trying to understand
4- summarise frequently.
Downey has explained this using a simple concept.
He uses an example of a comic in which there is a thought bubble over a character's head showing what he or she is thinking. When it comes to effective coaching, the thought bubble should be over the player's (coachee) head because it's the player who has to reflect and eventually come up with an idea to let's say solve a problem.
Yes it's necessary for a coach to give feedback to the players without being judgemental. That's actually the whole idea of effective coaching.
However, keeping in mind, that it's the player who has to do all the thinking and not the coach. (The bubble has to be on the player's head). What coach is going to do is create an atmosphere which serves the player best.
This book is all about the techniques and clearly explains the role of an ideal coach and how a coach can best serve the team by being flexible when it comes to roles and willingness to cover for each other. Team members caring for each other and each other's well being is very crucial when building a healthy team.
He has mentioned that the coach's primary job is to help a player get into the right mindset which cannot be emphasised enough.
Downey has briefly explained about fixed and growth mindset. How fixed mindset is wrapped around a corr belief that our abilities is something that we were born with and cannot be changed.
However, the growth mindset is based on a belief that effort is all you need to cultivate and enhance your abilities. The willingness to always learn and thrive for more.
Something a coach shouldn't be doing is directing which is telling the players what to do. Because in that case, you have to take the ownership on the situation. He should be following interests instead. That is listening, asking open ended questions, offering guidance.
A Coach has to make sure that whatever the outcome is of the situation, the responsibility stays with the player which is possible if the coach does not solve the problem because if the coach does just that, the player will come back when he hit another obstacle. A coach's approach has to be very non directive. One last and important thing is that as a coach, one has to have a good relationship with the players in order for them to approach you and in order for you to have meaningful conversations with the team about how to deliver goals and plans. Whenever the communication becomes easier, the outcome with be phenomenal.
The most important model in this book for an effective coaching is
the TGROW model
T TOPIC
G GOAL (for session)
R REALITY (who,what,where)
O Options
W Wrapup (clarity, support)
MODEL
Is the core of this book.
COACH -----initiation ------> PLAYER
<-------response-------
---------acknowledgement-------->
Let's start with the simple definition of coaching as mentioned by Downey.
'IT IS AN ART OF FACILITATING THE PERFORMANCE, LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANOTHER.'
Being a manager comes with tons of responsibilities and duites and being able to coach the team members to bring out the full potential of employees through coaching so that they can perform to higher levels and eventually together achieving great outcome as a team.
This book is all about what a coach should and should not do and what techniques are correct for a coach to use in everyday work life.
Before i come to the do and don't for a coach, let me clear the air by writing down the motives of the coaching or instead i should say Effective Coaching. It is indeed an art of facilitating the performance of the players (Downey address the coachee as a player) and making sure that every Project that the team is handling involves the developmeny of each individual in a team.
Coaching happens all the time around us. Everything a person is discussing with another how to do something, that's coaching.
A Model that made a lot of sense in this book is
POTENTIAL (minus) INTERFERENCE = PERFORMANCE.
Potential is something that we all have within and how our performance turns out to be depends on how much we make use of it. However, keeping in mind, there are a lot of factors that can serve as interference, could be internal or external, that hinders our performance such as fear, botedom, anger. And external could be a person telling you that you are not good enough.
So as we see, As the interference is decreased, more potential is available.
Coming back to EFFECTIVE COACHING, the role of a coach in this scenario is to reduce the interference by creating an environment that's motivated, fun and non judgemental.
Now let's come to the do's and don'ts which are very crucial.
The four major things Downey has mentioned and emphasised on are as follows-
1- Really LISTEN
2-ask a lot of questions
3- spent a lot of time trying to understand
4- summarise frequently.
Downey has explained this using a simple concept.
He uses an example of a comic in which there is a thought bubble over a character's head showing what he or she is thinking. When it comes to effective coaching, the thought bubble should be over the player's (coachee) head because it's the player who has to reflect and eventually come up with an idea to let's say solve a problem.
Yes it's necessary for a coach to give feedback to the players without being judgemental. That's actually the whole idea of effective coaching.
However, keeping in mind, that it's the player who has to do all the thinking and not the coach. (The bubble has to be on the player's head). What coach is going to do is create an atmosphere which serves the player best.
This book is all about the techniques and clearly explains the role of an ideal coach and how a coach can best serve the team by being flexible when it comes to roles and willingness to cover for each other. Team members caring for each other and each other's well being is very crucial when building a healthy team.
He has mentioned that the coach's primary job is to help a player get into the right mindset which cannot be emphasised enough.
Downey has briefly explained about fixed and growth mindset. How fixed mindset is wrapped around a corr belief that our abilities is something that we were born with and cannot be changed.
However, the growth mindset is based on a belief that effort is all you need to cultivate and enhance your abilities. The willingness to always learn and thrive for more.
Something a coach shouldn't be doing is directing which is telling the players what to do. Because in that case, you have to take the ownership on the situation. He should be following interests instead. That is listening, asking open ended questions, offering guidance.
A Coach has to make sure that whatever the outcome is of the situation, the responsibility stays with the player which is possible if the coach does not solve the problem because if the coach does just that, the player will come back when he hit another obstacle. A coach's approach has to be very non directive. One last and important thing is that as a coach, one has to have a good relationship with the players in order for them to approach you and in order for you to have meaningful conversations with the team about how to deliver goals and plans. Whenever the communication becomes easier, the outcome with be phenomenal.
The most important model in this book for an effective coaching is
the TGROW model
T TOPIC
G GOAL (for session)
R REALITY (who,what,where)
O Options
W Wrapup (clarity, support)
MODEL
Is the core of this book.
COACH -----initiation ------> PLAYER
<-------response-------
---------acknowledgement-------->
September 8, 2019
Fantastic Coaching
I really enjoyed this one - it is a great read for anyone interested in Coaching / Leading or Parenting.
Below are some of my highlights:
- The player does the thinking, not the coach. The coach’s job is to create an environment where the player can do their very best thinking.
- The coach’s responsibility, therefore, is not to teach but to facilitate learning.
- Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning, and development of another.
- The Indirect Approach - follow the Players’ interest
- Loved the reference to how babies learn to walk as a model for thinking about how people learn best
- Loved the Continue of attention: Unconscious Awareness, Noticing, Focused Attention, Absorption.
- Loved the reference to so many other great works - Inner Game of Tennis /Mindset / Flow / Emotional Intelligence
- I really liked the “Model T” approach for Expanding Focus
- Power of Summarizing and Paraphrasing
- The necessity of Feedback and how to do it effectively (non-judgmental)
- The analogy of a float tank - sensory deprivation, being an effective tool for mindfulness and recovery; however too long in the tank (lack of feedback) and you hallucinate
- Loved the analogy of coaching being similar to being on a double decker bus in London and seeing the traffic jam and how it could be solved - the job of the coach being to help the other Drivers
- I appreciated how the author was clear that the GROW model is not prescriptive - coaches need to adapt as they see fit. I also appreciated how the author described when “giving advice or insight” is appropriate
A team that is successful in reducing the interference will be characterized by the following:
• An apparent absence of hierarchy in relationships • Listening and a desire to understand each other • Robust, challenging conversations • Clear feedback sought and given • The pursuit of ‘impossible’ goals • Focused activity • An intuitive sense of where each member is and how he is doing • Request and offers of help or support • Flexibility in the roles and a willingness to cover for each other • Creativity, imagination, and intuition as part of the toolkit • Team members caring for each other and each other’s well-being • Fun, joy, and the simple pleasure of being together • Silence and thoughtfulness before decisions and action • Mutual accountability for the achievement of goals.
I am reminded of a wonderful gentleman who, while learning to coach, came to a critical point in his own learning. He was trying very hard to get it right, to do it by the book, until he realized that this effort of trying was getting in the way of focusing his full attention on the player. In his next coaching session, he focussed more fully on the player, and his and the player’s experience of coaching was transformed—it became a fluid and seamless conversation. His comment afterward was that the models and guidelines that we had been discussing up until that time were ‘for the discipline of the novice’.
I really enjoyed this one - it is a great read for anyone interested in Coaching / Leading or Parenting.
Below are some of my highlights:
- The player does the thinking, not the coach. The coach’s job is to create an environment where the player can do their very best thinking.
- The coach’s responsibility, therefore, is not to teach but to facilitate learning.
- Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning, and development of another.
- The Indirect Approach - follow the Players’ interest
- Loved the reference to how babies learn to walk as a model for thinking about how people learn best
- Loved the Continue of attention: Unconscious Awareness, Noticing, Focused Attention, Absorption.
- Loved the reference to so many other great works - Inner Game of Tennis /Mindset / Flow / Emotional Intelligence
- I really liked the “Model T” approach for Expanding Focus
- Power of Summarizing and Paraphrasing
- The necessity of Feedback and how to do it effectively (non-judgmental)
- The analogy of a float tank - sensory deprivation, being an effective tool for mindfulness and recovery; however too long in the tank (lack of feedback) and you hallucinate
- Loved the analogy of coaching being similar to being on a double decker bus in London and seeing the traffic jam and how it could be solved - the job of the coach being to help the other Drivers
- I appreciated how the author was clear that the GROW model is not prescriptive - coaches need to adapt as they see fit. I also appreciated how the author described when “giving advice or insight” is appropriate
A team that is successful in reducing the interference will be characterized by the following:
• An apparent absence of hierarchy in relationships • Listening and a desire to understand each other • Robust, challenging conversations • Clear feedback sought and given • The pursuit of ‘impossible’ goals • Focused activity • An intuitive sense of where each member is and how he is doing • Request and offers of help or support • Flexibility in the roles and a willingness to cover for each other • Creativity, imagination, and intuition as part of the toolkit • Team members caring for each other and each other’s well-being • Fun, joy, and the simple pleasure of being together • Silence and thoughtfulness before decisions and action • Mutual accountability for the achievement of goals.
I am reminded of a wonderful gentleman who, while learning to coach, came to a critical point in his own learning. He was trying very hard to get it right, to do it by the book, until he realized that this effort of trying was getting in the way of focusing his full attention on the player. In his next coaching session, he focussed more fully on the player, and his and the player’s experience of coaching was transformed—it became a fluid and seamless conversation. His comment afterward was that the models and guidelines that we had been discussing up until that time were ‘for the discipline of the novice’.
March 1, 2021
I loved this book. I believe that we are at our best in the company of others not dependent, not independent but interdependent. I hold it such actualization itself is seldom (if ever) achieved alone but made possible in community or with guidance of gifted other – one who has the capacity and courage to hold a different kind of conversation, a conversation that lets one’s thinking unfold, let one’s imagination, intuition, and creativity loose, and in so doing allows one to come to one’s own understanding.
Such a conversation is a dangerous conversation it demands that one step outside of one sphere and doubt – one’s “shoulds”, “musts“ and “have tos” – and into the innate genius.”
Source: Myles Downey: Effective and modern coaching. / LID Publishing.com
https://kokaibusinesscoach.com/coachi...
Such a conversation is a dangerous conversation it demands that one step outside of one sphere and doubt – one’s “shoulds”, “musts“ and “have tos” – and into the innate genius.”
Source: Myles Downey: Effective and modern coaching. / LID Publishing.com
https://kokaibusinesscoach.com/coachi...
April 10, 2022
Relevant, accessible and refreshing frank
I really liked the ease and fluidity of the writing and messages about the actual practice of coaching. Having been an executive coach for 20+ years myself, reading this book helped seal my own beliefs and practices, as well as enabling me to continue developing my practice with even greater trust - in myself and the process of effective coaching. I would highly recommend all coaches and managers, including those aspiring and experienced ones, to treat themselves by reading this book.
I really liked the ease and fluidity of the writing and messages about the actual practice of coaching. Having been an executive coach for 20+ years myself, reading this book helped seal my own beliefs and practices, as well as enabling me to continue developing my practice with even greater trust - in myself and the process of effective coaching. I would highly recommend all coaches and managers, including those aspiring and experienced ones, to treat themselves by reading this book.
November 26, 2023
Didn’t deliver what it could have
So disappointing. A great subject with some useful insights but they were wrapped up in an egotistical approach that appeared self-indulgent at times. Pointless change to well used and effective vocabulary was confusing and unnecessary. But the author lost me completely when he effectively proclaimed himself a genius. I struggled to finish reading after that. A real shame as the rest of the content was interesting, useful and helpful to someone studying to be a coach.
So disappointing. A great subject with some useful insights but they were wrapped up in an egotistical approach that appeared self-indulgent at times. Pointless change to well used and effective vocabulary was confusing and unnecessary. But the author lost me completely when he effectively proclaimed himself a genius. I struggled to finish reading after that. A real shame as the rest of the content was interesting, useful and helpful to someone studying to be a coach.
July 26, 2019
A must-read for those looking to apply coaching skills. The book provides very tangible models and examples that can be used immediately. The author also does a great job of blending executive coaching and sports coaching techniques. I especially like how he uses The Inner Game of Tennis Methods in his coaching practice. For someone interested in pursuing more of a coach approach, this would be the first book I would recommend.
May 30, 2017
Although the content is really spot on, I had to turn a blind eye to the number of typos in this new edition. The third section of the book (the new part) is FULL of typos. There's even a typo in the quotes on the back of the book.
May 9, 2019
Great read for coaches
As a business coach I appreciated the opportunity to learn new perspectives from this author. There is practical wisdom and relevance for coaches of all varieties
As a business coach I appreciated the opportunity to learn new perspectives from this author. There is practical wisdom and relevance for coaches of all varieties
April 9, 2021
Insightful
I Really enjoyed it, will be starting a level 5 coaching course soon and think this will be very helpful!
I Really enjoyed it, will be starting a level 5 coaching course soon and think this will be very helpful!
October 24, 2022
Just started reading Myles Downey’s preface from “Effective and Modern Coaching” and I just felt I need to share with you, as his thoughts are really expressing my attitude to coaching and serving as a coach.
[…] “ The generation of people active in the workplace now have a different set of values different set of values that’s less compliant at the greater sense of self. More difficult to ‘comment and control’. And organizations – the employers – are struggling to fight ways to respond not just to this generation but also to a waste more volatile world.
To put this in context let me suggest that one thread in the story of the 20th century is the drive toward even greater efficiency from Henry Ford’s production line total quality management and business process reengineering through Six Sigma and Lean management techniques. (A Six Sigma process is the one in which 99.99966% of the product manufactured are expected to be free of defects that is 3.4 defective parts per million.)
You could say you know how to do efficiency. These approaches are powerful and appropriate when applied to manufacturing processes (inanimate object) but not so good when you appliy it to the animate (human beings).
Unfortunately, the education systems where learning is designed to create ‘units of production and consumption’ an in our management and management development systems this is just what we have done.
Where does progress come from ?
Take competencies (please)! Progress will not come from competence or from greater efficiency. Today’s organization don’t need more efficiency, they need human creativity and imagination. Tightening the process will not deliver these things in fact it disables genius.
Here is the irony coaching is increasingly of vital importance to the success of business organizations and to the flourishing of individuals (these two beings symbiotic). Coaching is also facing the possibility and becoming institutionalized of losing its subversive provocative edge. The edge that seeks out new possibilities, new horizons – new way of being and doing things.
Those of us who evangelize coaching and are passionate about it might remember that coaching is not a thing in and of itself – it does not have any validity outside of the outcome. The sport coach is there to deliver a better performance coaching is a servant of something a process a means of delivery. It is the means in service of an end. It is verb not a noun […]
In the late 20th century in a modern world driven by efficiency and compliance to suggest that coaching was about individual genius self-expression and autonomy would have resulted in a very small client base. Today there is a vital need to enable individual genius – while finding the means to ensure that this in turn results in a more powerful organization.
I fundamentally believe that the natural state of the human being is to be fully expressed, uninhibited, and without doubt or fear.
To be able to perform learn and enjoy.
A state in which there is access to all the innate resources born to us. Genius.
I believe that we are at our best in the company of others not dependent, not independent but interdependent. I hold it such actualization itself is seldom (if ever) achieved alone but made possible in community or with guidance of gifted other – one who has the capacity and courage to hold a different kind of conversation, a conversation that lets one’s thinking unfold, let one’s imagination, intuition, and creativity loose, and in so doing allows one to come to one’s own understanding.
Such a conversation is a dangerous conversation it demands that one step outside of one sphere and doubt – one’s “shoulds”, “musts“ and “have tos” – and into the innate genius.”
Source: Myles Downey: Effective and modern coaching. / LID Publishing.com
https://kokaibusinesscoach.com/coachi...
[…] “ The generation of people active in the workplace now have a different set of values different set of values that’s less compliant at the greater sense of self. More difficult to ‘comment and control’. And organizations – the employers – are struggling to fight ways to respond not just to this generation but also to a waste more volatile world.
To put this in context let me suggest that one thread in the story of the 20th century is the drive toward even greater efficiency from Henry Ford’s production line total quality management and business process reengineering through Six Sigma and Lean management techniques. (A Six Sigma process is the one in which 99.99966% of the product manufactured are expected to be free of defects that is 3.4 defective parts per million.)
You could say you know how to do efficiency. These approaches are powerful and appropriate when applied to manufacturing processes (inanimate object) but not so good when you appliy it to the animate (human beings).
Unfortunately, the education systems where learning is designed to create ‘units of production and consumption’ an in our management and management development systems this is just what we have done.
Where does progress come from ?
Take competencies (please)! Progress will not come from competence or from greater efficiency. Today’s organization don’t need more efficiency, they need human creativity and imagination. Tightening the process will not deliver these things in fact it disables genius.
Here is the irony coaching is increasingly of vital importance to the success of business organizations and to the flourishing of individuals (these two beings symbiotic). Coaching is also facing the possibility and becoming institutionalized of losing its subversive provocative edge. The edge that seeks out new possibilities, new horizons – new way of being and doing things.
Those of us who evangelize coaching and are passionate about it might remember that coaching is not a thing in and of itself – it does not have any validity outside of the outcome. The sport coach is there to deliver a better performance coaching is a servant of something a process a means of delivery. It is the means in service of an end. It is verb not a noun […]
In the late 20th century in a modern world driven by efficiency and compliance to suggest that coaching was about individual genius self-expression and autonomy would have resulted in a very small client base. Today there is a vital need to enable individual genius – while finding the means to ensure that this in turn results in a more powerful organization.
I fundamentally believe that the natural state of the human being is to be fully expressed, uninhibited, and without doubt or fear.
To be able to perform learn and enjoy.
A state in which there is access to all the innate resources born to us. Genius.
I believe that we are at our best in the company of others not dependent, not independent but interdependent. I hold it such actualization itself is seldom (if ever) achieved alone but made possible in community or with guidance of gifted other – one who has the capacity and courage to hold a different kind of conversation, a conversation that lets one’s thinking unfold, let one’s imagination, intuition, and creativity loose, and in so doing allows one to come to one’s own understanding.
Such a conversation is a dangerous conversation it demands that one step outside of one sphere and doubt – one’s “shoulds”, “musts“ and “have tos” – and into the innate genius.”
Source: Myles Downey: Effective and modern coaching. / LID Publishing.com
https://kokaibusinesscoach.com/coachi...
February 18, 2022
This is an excellent book on coaching, one of the best among what I have read. I plan to use it to guide my practice more.
The author presents his understanding of coaching in this book, which is influenced by Tim Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis and developed through his years of practicing and also teaching coaching. It’s impressive how insightful and lucid his writing is. It covers the theoretical foundations, principles, and mindsets of coaching as well as practical skills, processes, and models of coaching - that is, both the inner game and outer game of the coaching. It focuses on coaching in the organizational context, explains why coaching should be a key role of a manager/leader just like management and leadership, and discusses how to best introduce coaching into the workplace.
(BTW, the author refers to the coachee as the player in the book.)
Here are a few key learnings (out of many more):
—> I really like his definition of coaching: “Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning, and development of another. The role of the coach is to enable the player to explore, to gain a better understanding, to become more aware, and from that place to make a better decision that he or she would have made previously.” Bravo, a great paragraph that captures the essence of coaching.
—> The continuum of coaching skills, ranging from directive to non-directive (see pic 2). The author argues that it’s impossible to have pure non-directive coaching and it is probably not effective to have directive coaching. The key is to do the right thing at the right time, that is, use the approach that’s best suited for the moment. However, the author argues that you probably should lean toward non-directive in coaching in most cases and most times because that’s how you give ownership to the player. He suggests that you build a strong foundation of non-directive skills and then with experience and experimenting you can employ other more directive skills.
—> The 4 major components in coaching - coach, player, relationship (between us), context (around us) (see pic 3). Both the coach and the player have resources to contribute to the coaching although emphasis should be made to tap into the player’s resources and potential; a good question to ask is “over whose head is the thinking bubble?” Relationship is the most important factor in coaching and the coach needs to actively build and mange that relationship. Context sometimes is overlooked; however it is the key to understanding of the player and his/her situation.
—> The idea that one of the ways to improve performance is to reduce the interference. Two most common interferences are fear and doubt. One of the ways to reduce interference is to focus attention. Here are some important concepts in effective coaching: growth mindset, flow, self two, noticing, focused attention, and awareness.
—> The Model T in coaching - a very useful technique to use in conjunction with the GROW model. “The horizontal bar of the T—‘expand’—is driven by noticing questions, and the vertical bar—‘focus’—is driven by interest.” It suggests that you expand the conversation first, then focus on details/specifics by following interest.
P.S., I’m so glad I somehow encountered this book and decided to read it. It’s a great refresher. The timing is also perfect as I plan to brush up on my coaching skills this year.
The author presents his understanding of coaching in this book, which is influenced by Tim Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis and developed through his years of practicing and also teaching coaching. It’s impressive how insightful and lucid his writing is. It covers the theoretical foundations, principles, and mindsets of coaching as well as practical skills, processes, and models of coaching - that is, both the inner game and outer game of the coaching. It focuses on coaching in the organizational context, explains why coaching should be a key role of a manager/leader just like management and leadership, and discusses how to best introduce coaching into the workplace.
(BTW, the author refers to the coachee as the player in the book.)
Here are a few key learnings (out of many more):
—> I really like his definition of coaching: “Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning, and development of another. The role of the coach is to enable the player to explore, to gain a better understanding, to become more aware, and from that place to make a better decision that he or she would have made previously.” Bravo, a great paragraph that captures the essence of coaching.
—> The continuum of coaching skills, ranging from directive to non-directive (see pic 2). The author argues that it’s impossible to have pure non-directive coaching and it is probably not effective to have directive coaching. The key is to do the right thing at the right time, that is, use the approach that’s best suited for the moment. However, the author argues that you probably should lean toward non-directive in coaching in most cases and most times because that’s how you give ownership to the player. He suggests that you build a strong foundation of non-directive skills and then with experience and experimenting you can employ other more directive skills.
—> The 4 major components in coaching - coach, player, relationship (between us), context (around us) (see pic 3). Both the coach and the player have resources to contribute to the coaching although emphasis should be made to tap into the player’s resources and potential; a good question to ask is “over whose head is the thinking bubble?” Relationship is the most important factor in coaching and the coach needs to actively build and mange that relationship. Context sometimes is overlooked; however it is the key to understanding of the player and his/her situation.
—> The idea that one of the ways to improve performance is to reduce the interference. Two most common interferences are fear and doubt. One of the ways to reduce interference is to focus attention. Here are some important concepts in effective coaching: growth mindset, flow, self two, noticing, focused attention, and awareness.
—> The Model T in coaching - a very useful technique to use in conjunction with the GROW model. “The horizontal bar of the T—‘expand’—is driven by noticing questions, and the vertical bar—‘focus’—is driven by interest.” It suggests that you expand the conversation first, then focus on details/specifics by following interest.
P.S., I’m so glad I somehow encountered this book and decided to read it. It’s a great refresher. The timing is also perfect as I plan to brush up on my coaching skills this year.
January 7, 2020
There is a reason that more than a dozen people in our org are reading this book. Easy to read and practical advice on coaching/relationships. Borrows elements of “The Inner Game of Tennis” and has realistic conversation examples that drive points home. Even after reading once, I’ll continue to reference this book and purchase for others. My top 10 has a new addition. A must read for any coach or leader.
January 13, 2021
Waste of money. This book is a replica of The Myles’ previous book Effective Coaching. Most parts are re-written word by word from the past book.
There’re only really 1 or 2 max chapters that are different. It’s a shame to waste so much paper for this.
If you purchase this book only, it’s fantastic, since his previous one is really good. But don’t make my mistake and buy both of Myles’s coaching books.
There’re only really 1 or 2 max chapters that are different. It’s a shame to waste so much paper for this.
If you purchase this book only, it’s fantastic, since his previous one is really good. But don’t make my mistake and buy both of Myles’s coaching books.
August 25, 2019
One of the best books on coaching that I have read. Blends executive coaching and sports coaching principles. I would recommend for anyone who is looking to build their coaching and guided discovery skills.
March 26, 2017
A handbook for the manager coach. Simple and practical.
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