If you want to be a great coach, you must be a great listener.

Listening skills are essential for anyone who wants to be a great coach. Most people think that if they hear somebody, they must be listening to them, but that isn’t true at all.

Hearing is the passive act of perceiving sound by the ear, but listening is active. Listening is something you intentionally choose to do. It requires concentration so that your brain can process what is heard and then create meaning from words and sentences.

On average, people forget between one thirds and half of what we heard within 8 hours. The responsibility of coaching means that it isn’t good enough to be average.

Great coaches learn great listening skills. We teach great coaches!

Ready to Learn More? Check out our blog post on this subject. READ MORE...

Book a call with our Program Advisor - Emily MacDonald

7 Steps to Improve Decision Making

The amount and speed with which we receive information has almost become overwhelming.

Add that with the increased pressure to take action more quickly, and the continued stretch of leading (and living) through a pandemic, leaders find themselves with less and less time to think through a problem.

Without this space, I am seeing an increased number of the those I work with are making more reactionary, sometimes short-sighted decisions.

The Ladder of Inference is a powerful tool to help leaders identify their thinking process in order to challenge the premise of decisions, thereby increasing the probability of a solid decision. The Ladder of Inference was created by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris in the mid-1970s and became well known when it appeared in Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.

The Ladder identifies 7 steps, or rungs we climb to make decisions. — Rosa Edinga, MBA, PCC Coach Facilitator, Coaching Out of the Box®

Ready to Learn More? Check out our blog post on this subject. READ MORE...

Book a call with our Program Advisor - Enrolment Coach

Coach Credentialing

We receive many questions about coach certification and the process of obtaining an ICF credential. And really, the number of questions we receive is no surprise. With multiple application paths as well as different and changing requirements, the process can be confusing. Applying for your ICF credential is a BIG step and you don’t want to miss anything that could delay or jeopardize receiving your credential. Our goal is to provide useful tips to those who are currently or will soon be pursuing the ICF ACC credential.

Powerful Coaching Questions
Almost every conversation begins with questions. Getting to know someone better can lead into a more in depth and complete dialogue. This is even more important in the coaching field. The biggest challenge comes in when deciding what questions are the best to ask and each situation can be different, requiring unique question plans. Overall, however, there are some great questions to progress through a coaching dialogue with a coachee. Here are a few:

Coaching the Poor Communicator
Let’s talk about a common yet very important coaching challenge – coaching the poor communicator. Of course, communication can be written or verbal and many points in this newsletter can apply to both but, for now, we are narrowing our focus down to interpersonal verbal communication.

When information is exchanged there must be a balance between giving and receiving. When communication works, there is a connection between the individuals involved. This gives us clues as to where we might focus when working with a poor communicator.

3 Key Tips on Coaching the Uncoachable
The idea that some people are uncoachable goes against my grain – I like to think everyone can be coached – if we just take the right approach. I’ll admit that there are some individuals that are very difficult to coach. And I guess I must accept that there may be a few who really are uncoachable because they don’t see or believe there is any need to change.

3 Key Tips on Coaching the Uncoachable
The idea that some people are uncoachable goes against my grain – I like to think everyone can be coached – if we just take the right approach. I’ll admit that there are some individuals that are very difficult to coach. And I guess I must accept that there may be a few who really are uncoachable because they don’t see or believe there is any need to change.

You may run across individuals that seem to be uncoachable at many different levels within an organization but you are more likely to find them at the top. These individuals typically have a lot of experience, they have made it to the top on their own, doing things their way. So, their thinking is often - why would they need to be coached? Or, they think it is everyone else who needs to change and others who could use coaching – not them.

Experience the Power of Coaching Live
Whether you are a seasoned professional coach, just getting started with your coaching journey or a current student at Coaching Out of the Box®, this is great opportunity to experience our fantastic Coach Facilitators in action. One way to learn and grow as a coach is to observe coaching sessions led by other professional coaches. Observing can enhance your ability to coach more effectively, refine your coaching skills and be exposed to new ideas and coaching styles. While we at Coaching Out of the Box® subscribe to the notion that the best way to learn how to coach is to coach and be coached, observing others coaching plays an important role in your development as a coach, and is a large part of our Advanced Coaching Skills Practicum.

What's in this newsletter? Check out a coaching demo, a few of our upcoming programs, how to strengthen your coaching muscle and more!

The Power of Coaching during a Pandemic
What if EVERYONE had coaching skills! Even after over 20 years of being in coaching I am still moved, humbled, and reminded of the power of coaching.

I want to draw your attention to a recent coaching demo that happened during the Live Coaching Sessions webinar held in November. This coaching demo is an example of not only outstanding coaching but also so relevant to this time we are all going through. As you watch the coaching unfold, I hope you, like me, will be reminded of the power, value, and impact of coaching, plus feel supported in your own coaching development.

Experience the Power of Coaching Live
As professional coaches, we are committed to being continuous learners. One way to learn and grow as a coach is to observe coaching sessions led by other professional coaches. Observing can enhance your ability to coach more effectively, refine your coaching skills and be exposed to new ideas and coaching styles. While we at Coaching Out of the Box® subscribe to the notion that the best way to learn how to coach is to coach and be coached, observing others coaching plays an important role in your development as a coach, and is a large part of our Advanced Coaching Skills Practicum.