coaching summary

Michelle Jacobs

Coaching Summary

2/23/14

Coaching to me is a way for an individual to make progress in their life with the assistance of another person. To me it’s a way to create a thought provoking process with a neutral outside person who is assisting you through a problem or situation. Coaches are able to push and extend you in areas you didn’t know were possible.  It allows you to extend your development in your communication skills. Coaching is a way to support the learning of the person you are coaching based on what’s currently going on in their lives.

Hopefully through out this process I can provide my coachee with assistance through listening, mirroring, summarizing, questioning and analyzing.  Listening to your coachee allows for you show your coachee their situation that they are currently in and the positive experience that could come from the situation. Sometimes it is difficult to step back and fully see the situation or problem in front of you.  Often many people will reflect on the possible negative side effect and not think of the good that could come out of the situation.  Most people do not like change and think the worst of a situation when things outside of their plan in life occur.  Utilizing mirroring, we can ask questions or make suggestions to show the coachee how things really are. We often are able to come to a conclusion or solution simply by talking out our problems. Mirroring allows the coach to guide the coachee to find the appropriate answer or solution. Summarizing allows the coach to summarize the content of the discussion for the coachee. Conversations often evolve and morph into a solution. Summarizing identifies the key points for the coachee. Questioning occurs when the coach asks helpful questions that allow the coachee to gain clarity of the situation they are faced with, challenge their current thinking, and it allows for deeper thought into the problem. Catalyzing brings energy to make a transformation in the coachee’s life. Catalyzing a conversation means taking a interest in what the discussion is about. Without an interest in the topic of the conversation, it is difficult to remain focused and guide the coachee in their life.

Prior to the start of this class I have informally coached others in their lives but I do not think I have fully completed all the steps of coaching. By the end of this class I think I will be able to fully assist a coachee with their problem or situation in life.  I think this week’s lecture will allow for me to become a better coachee. In the past I have had a difficult time allowing others to guide me through problems or a situation going on in my life. I prefer to do things on my own and never really thought that by talking through a situation I could fix the problem. 

I work at a vocational center for adults with developmental disabilities as a clinical supervisor. I supervise 8 staff and 23 adults with developmental disabilities. In my professional life, I plan to use coaching with my staff as situation in their lives or work situations arise.