Coaching isn't just for the Little League. Many of the most successful people in business today owe their success to a few coaching sessions, and they're proud to tell you about it. Whether it's the informal, personal advice that's encountered in a 'mentoring' relationship, or the more formal process followed by a professional business coach, the benefits are much the same - people are stimulated and induced to grow and develop to their fullest potentials.

For all the publicity, there are many more 'amateur' coaches within an organization than are brought in from outside. In many successful manager-subordinate relationships, coaching is a key component. It's the preferred long-term, pervasive solution to arrested or slow development, and the best method for 'fast-tracking'.

To play the role of Coach, all you need is to help another become more self-aware - it really is that simple. With improved self-awareness comes the critical feelings that will generate action. Once movement is evident, then gentle steering influences can be applied as the exploratory process unfolds. Asking open style questions to examine the consequences of various options is all that's required - not an unpleasant process.

Of course, the person being coached needs to fully accept the need for coaching help, and also to accept ownership of the process - the coach is just a facilitator. This means that all remedies being considered have to originate with the subject too. The coach's skill is in asking the right questions, not in providing 'right' answers.

Similarly the final decisions, regarding action to be taken, cannot be taken away from the person who will be implementing them. If they are taken away then so is the commitment to make them work. The role of the coach is to guide, clarify, query, challenge, summarize, and then to reinforce the actions that are finally decided.

There are several key skills to be developed for success in this role. We'll look at these in our next issue. The immediate question is whether coaching is the right application for your situation. There's a case study and short aptitude evaluation in the Staying in Touch section of the Andros Website. Try it for yourself. Do you have what is needed to be an effective business coach?