Listen Or Advise? 14 Ways To Find The Right Balance As A Professional Coach

Forbes

Dec 11, 2017

Individuals of all stripes often turn to professional coaches to help them assess a complex or risky endeavor, navigate a career crisis, or simply live a more fulfilled life. As a coach, your role falls somewhere between a therapist and a teacher: You must know how to listen carefully to your clients' problems, as well as impart your wisdom to help them succeed.

Some coaching clients want tough love, others want a gentle push. This is all determined at the beginning of your relationship. Either way, I am careful to make sure if I am offering advice, that I preface it with the "for me" statement. This makes it clear how I would deal based on my experience so they can hear my thought process and determine which parts do or do not apply to them.