Coaching can be delivered in a number of ways

NON-DIRECTIONAL COACHING
In this situation the coach must be a highly skilled communicator and have exceptional questioning, listening and empathy skills. It is the coach’s job to establish what the individual’s needs are and then by using the skills stated above, enable the individual to find their own solutions. Most people do have the answers within themselves, usually at the unconscious level and therefore the skilled coach will bring those answers to the surface to give the individual choice as to the best way forward.

DIRECTIONAL COACHING
In this situation the coach works with the individual to establish what they want to improve and the coach offers advice, guidance and ideas as to how the individual can make the changes. This type of coaching means that the coach must have the relevant experience to work with the individual. So for example, if the individual is being coached in some area of management skills, the coach would need that experience. Note the words relevant experience. This means practical ‘hands on’ experience, not theory. In other words, the coach must be able to ‘walk the talk’.

COMBINATION
As the word suggests, this type of coaching uses a proportion of non-directional and directional styles. Using this method the coach would need to have the relevant experience to support the individual.