There is a big difference between being told what to do and figuring out what to do. While sometimes people say they want to be told, ultimately having the opportunity to figure it out enhances the learning and exponentially increases the follow-through.
A coach empowers their client to determine their own action steps. Instead of being told what to do, the clie
nt is challenged to figure it out them self. Typically, giving an answer is easy; it takes more time, patience, and skill to elicit the answer from someone else. The payoff is huge: When someone figures out their actions independently, they own and buy in to the plan, and they want to follow through.
Sometimes people hesitate to commit to actions or to commit to a timeline. A trained, skillful coach is comfortable pushing the client to commit to both the actions and a timeline. Sometimes, when appropriate, a coach challenges the feasibility of the actions and/or the timeline.
A coach also kindly challenges the client to follow through, and checks in with the client after the expected completion. A coach gently partners with the client for accountability for the action steps so they stay on track and move forward.
