One of the things I’ve noticed over my years of mentoring coaches is that when they start working towards PCC, they often focus on what they need to do differently.

They want to ask more powerful questions, listen more deeply and demonstrate the PCC Markers consistently.

All perfectly understandable but what if some of the biggest shifts in your coaching come from recognising what you could stop doing?

When I listen to coaching recordings, I’m often struck by how hard coaches are working. They’re doing their absolute best to help their clients, yet sometimes that very effort gets in the way.

Here are some examples.

 

Stop filling the silence

A client pauses after answering a question. The coach waits a few seconds and then asks another question.

It feels helpful. After all, the conversation needs to keep moving, doesn’t it?

But what if the client was just beginning to think about something they’d never considered before?

When we rush to fill the silence, we may interrupt the very thinking we’re trying to encourage.

How comfortable are you allowing your client to think without intervening?

 

Stop trying to ask the perfect question

I’ve listened to recordings where coaches ask some excellent questions. Unfortunately, they’re sometimes so focused on formulating their next question that they miss something significant the client has just said.

At PCC level, we’re looking for coaching that responds to the client and what is emerging in the moment.

That might involve asking a question, sharing an observation or simply allowing the client to continue exploring.

What happens when you stop worrying about your next question and become genuinely curious about what you’re hearing?

 

Stop deciding where the exploration should go

I was reviewing a recording with a mentee who believed she was helping her client broaden her perspective.

The client had been talking about something she was excited about, and my mentee asked her what excited her about the situation and what scared her.

Her intention was to help the client explore different perspectives.

But there was something interesting happening here.

The client hadn’t mentioned being scared – that was something the coach had introduced.

By asking about fear, she was directing the client’s attention towards something the client hadn’t identified as relevant.

She was also potentially moving the client from a resourceful state of excitement into an unresourceful state of fear.

When we explored this together, we looked at how easily our own ideas about what might be useful can influence the direction of a coaching conversation, even when we genuinely believe we’re following the client.

What might have happened if she’d simply stayed curious about the client’s excitement and allowed the client to decide what else, if anything, needed exploring?

This is an important aspect of developing PCC-level coaching: becoming more aware of whose thinking is driving the conversation.

 

Stop trying to demonstrate the competencies

This is something I particularly notice when coaches are preparing recordings for their credential applications.

They’re understandably conscious of the competencies and markers and sometimes that awareness starts influencing how they coach.

They begin looking for opportunities to demonstrate particular behaviours rather than responding naturally to their client.

The irony is that the harder they try to demonstrate PCC-level coaching, the more difficult it can become to remain fully present with your client.

 

What are you ready to let go of?

Developing towards PCC involves becoming increasingly aware of how you show up in coaching conversations.

And that awareness isn’t always comfortable.

It’s difficult to recognise our own habitual behaviours while we’re busy coaching and that’s why I believe listening to recordings, reflecting on our practice and receiving developmental feedback are so valuable.

Sometimes the most useful discovery is recognising that you already have the skills you need. You simply need to stop doing something that’s getting in their way.

If you listened to your last coaching session, what might you discover you’re doing that you no longer need to do?

Until next time,

Cath

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P.S. Working towards PCC?

In my ICF Accredited Coach Development & Mentoring Programme, we explore exactly these kinds of discoveries.

Drawing on my experience as an MCC, ICF assessor and mentor coach, I help you recognise what’s happening in your coaching, identify habitual patterns and develop greater confidence in your ability to coach at PCC level.

My next programme starts in November, and there are a couple of places remaining.

Find out more about working with me.