A client’s comment landed like a gut punch:

“Coaching is not working.  After six months our sales have not budged! Revenue is down year-over-year in May, June, and July.  When will the benefits of coaching show up in our financial results?”

At that exact moment I realized my delay in addressing the problem had put the coaching relationship in jeopardy.  Coaching is about exploring client behavior and motivational change; consulting involves giving advice and offering solutions.

It was a fair question, especially for business owners and executives who carry the weight of performance and results.  But when we say “coaching isn’t working” we sometimes mean something else.  The client expects consulting – direct answers to questions, operational advice, and prescriptive solutions.  My training led me to deliver coaching, which is a process of uncovering what’s blocking progress!

The client wanted a step-by-step recipe and “fix it now” check list that coaching is not designed to provide. When I began coaching as an encore career in 2019, my instructor was clear: A coach shall not offer advice, opinions, and operational solutions about running the business.”  Executives and founders get downright indignant when a coach, lacking experience or qualifications, begins to opine about management practices!

Remember that coaching evolves over time, often taking months, quarters, or years. As problems are identified, the owner/executive begins to identify derailing behaviors, in staff or in themselves, which are holding everyone back.

If for example a client owned a chain of restaurants, they assume the coach “must know” how to manage multiple locations and provide step-by step operational fixes. When the improvement does not happen, they conclude the coaching is not helping – so easy to conflate coaching and consulting!

Coaching tools are evidence-based and often useful – values clarification, 360-degree feedback, Assumption Ladder, derailing behavior, emotional intelligence (EQ-i) – really good stuff for those willing to work problems. 

When each session begins with a laundry list of failures and disappointments from the prior week, the needle begins to point at the leader. The leader, frustratingly disappointed in head and heart, should begin to manage “up” his or her all-star team, starting with attitude and behavior.  What follows may be difficult – deciding about the need for a replacement, retraining, or demotion.

Leadership gaps are not caused by lack of effort!  Every modern marketing and technology weapon may have been deployed to improve results.  The missing piece was lack of clarity and clear direction. The leader’s ego may delude them into a continuous status quo.

Coaching agreements must have two explicit parts – 1) what the client wants to achieve in each session and 2) what specific obstacles and opportunities are barring progress and what changes, known as reframing, are needed to support client goals. If the conversation omits these key points, then it is just a conversation, not professional coaching.

If you would like to explore whether coaching fits your situation then please schedule an appointment online to book a complimentary session. (Further CTAs placed here if MAS would kindly offer page wording that builds on DEC brand.) And may result in one online appointment or inquiry.