When Coaching 'CALLS' During a Client Engagement

Coaching where the consultant tells more than asks and listens, is poor, sordid coaching. Coaching typified by the coach telling and cheerleading more than asking is poor. Coaching that does not actively listen is deficient. Poor coaching does not conclude with clear action steps. In fact, a conversation that is characterized by the above is really not coaching at all.

Good Coaching

Coaching with a clear objective / goal specified by the client is good, solid coaching. Coaching characterized by asking provoking and penetrating questions on many levels is good. Coaching that prompts the client to think deeply about and answer varying levels of questions is effective. Good coaching is where the coach primarily listens and the client primarily talks. Finally, an excellent coaching conversation always ends with specific, measurable action steps that are agreed upon, and of which the client takes ownership.

When to Coach

The best time to coach a client is when it becomes clear he lacks clarity on what to do, why to do it and / or how to do it. He may also lack motivation. Specifically, in the opening meeting with a client, coaching is critical. Consultants need to draw out the client's goals, objectives and desires so he is motivated to move forward with the consulting engagement with full commitment. The client needs to be reminded that we are helping him reach his goals, not ours. We are not putting pressure on him but are drawing him out and calling him to something higher, possibly even something he has not yet thought of himself. This results in self-motivation and an internal energy to fully engage and move forward.

Another time to coach is during the 'blood wall' session where the client is asked to verbalize and write down where his company is 'bleeding.' This also involves documenting, in large print on a white board or large Post-it® Wall Pad sheet, the proposed solution and estimating the benefit in dollars. It's a great time to put on your coaching hat and ask questions beyond what is written in order to solidify the client's commitment and conviction regarding the specific deliverables and value the consultant is offering.

The end of the consulting engagement, sometime during the last week, is almost always optimal for coaching. This coaching conversation can dovetail into getting the client onboard for providing the written and video testimony, finalizing dates for engaging in the life cycle management plans and so the client is motivated to make referrals. Finally, the consultant may want to formalize a weekly coaching time with the client. This will be discussed more in the next section.

Formal Vs. Informal Coaching

The difference between formal and informal coaching lies in the set up. Formal coaching requires the consultant and client to agree that the upcoming engagement will be a coaching conversation. The advantage is that the client will have on his 'coachee' hat, clearly understanding the intent of the session. The length of a formal coaching session should be agreed upon (usually 30 minutes to 1 hour), and the consultant may want to define for the client what to expect, possibly using information shared in this article.

An informal coaching session happens when the consultant puts on his coaching hat, often unbeknown to the client. As mentioned earlier, if coaching during the opening meeting, the consultant may shift into this mode simply by starting to ask more questions and listening more than speaking and instructing. The informal session may or may not include specific action steps.

How to Coach

Many reading this article may be trained or certified as a coach, so this section may be redundant to a degree, but the approach and acronym should be fresh to all. The acronym C.A.L.L.S. will outline the coaching engagement. Often times while consulting, coaching "calls!"

"C" stands for 'Connect.' Connect with the client at a business and personal level by asking how he is and how things are going. Share a bit about yourself and circumstances as appropriate.

"A" represents 'Ask.' Asking questions is the core of coaching. Those trained as a life or executive coach know how critical open-ended, powerful, well thought out and planned questions are in effective coaching. Some initial questions are asked when connecting, but now is the time to delve in and help the client self-discover and find fresh motivation to move forward. Questions after connecting should fall into three areas at this point:

1) Defining the goals the client wants to focus on. E.g., ask: "What goals do you want to accomplish that we can discuss here?"

2) Delving deeper into the external and internal influences. E.g., ask: "What do you think might be hindering or helping in the achievement of this goal?"; 

3) Deciding on a couple of action steps. E.g., ask: "What specific actions steps do you think you need to take to accomplish what we just discussed?" 

Prepare questions ahead of time in advance of each coaching session. The general rule while coaching is to ask questions that begin with the word "What" primarily and "How" secondarily. Asking "Why" questions can put the client on the defensive. Asking "When" and "Where" questions tend to be more leading and closed-ended than open-ended.

"L" stands for Listen. When asking questions, the coach is to listen actively and intently to the client. This means looking at the client, listening to the content of his answer along with the tone of voice, as well as observing his body language. Lean forward if sitting. Smile. Nod. As the consultant listens, new questions to ask will likely come to mind.

The second "L" and the "S" go together and represent "Lead and Summarize." Here the consultant takes back some control and leads the client to a summary of what took place and what was discussed during the coaching conversation. The consultant should draw from what he picked up while actively listening in order to restate (and even write down and show the client) what he heard, especially regarding the action steps. Some questions might include:

•  What in my summary is on target? What is not?

•  What new insights do you now have?

•  How certain are you that you / we can get this done and accomplish these action steps?

•  How can I support you specifically regarding these?

Summary

In review, coaching is helping a client get from where he is to where he wants to go, and in this context, in his business. There are poor and good examples of coaching. The best coaching incorporates open-ended, powerful questions and strong listening skills on the part of the coach / consultant. Use the acronym, C.A.L.L.S. to remember the key elements to good coaching: Connect, Ask, Listen, Lead and Summarize. When a coach connects genuinely, asks poignant questions, listens attentively and leads and summarizes effectively, the client will desire further engagement and be more open to mentoring, ultimately referring other clients to the consultant.

Bruce Catanzarite is a Project Director at Cogent Analytics, a Greensboro, N.C.-based consulting firm.