Coaching Strategies

We offer four sets of essays concerning effective coaching strategies. We begin with two essays that offer a foundation for the consideration of diverse coaching strategies.

Generational Age Groups

Any study regarding the challenge of coaching men and women from all age ranges must take into account social and cultural aspects of age groups that broadly define who these people are and what they represent. One way of doing this is to identify age-related characteristics that are reflected in literature on the nation’s four existing generations. While demographic generalizations are simplifications of reality and must be used with care in reaching conclusions about specific age groups, demographic researches often provide important insights regarding each of the four generational groupings. So, in reviewing characteristics of the four age cohorts, our purpose is to present generational flavor.

Personal and Executive Coaching

Personal coaching and executive coaching share many fundamentals. However, they can and do differ in their agenda setting, content, and objectives. Executive coaches also face unique challenges posed by the incorporation of the client organization into the coaching process. In over 25 years as an organizational consultant and 17 years of personal and executive coaching, I’ve seen the many ways coaching can assist in both individual and organizational growth. As a teacher of leadership development, I am continuously reviewing the competencies and deep skills required of leaders and coaches. All of this has contributed to my understanding of the distinctions between personal and executive coaching.

We next turn to three essays concerned with general coaching strategies.

Say It Skillfully

As coaches we must learn to interact in a powerful, open, and honest manner at work. We must help people create a shared reality in which all voices are heard, including the unpopular ones, and understood in the most effective manner possible. Most professionals understand the concepts of being respectful and cooperative, but they don’t actually know how to do it when times get a bit stressful. It’s both finding the words and how to say them, so as to honor oneself and others. As a coach what do you do if everyone else agrees on a decision, but you see it differently. What do you do?