Solve with, not for
When coaching, it’s solving with, not for.
It’s easy to slip into a problem solving role as a coach. But that’s not coaching, it’s mentoring or consulting.
As a coach, when we give advice or solve for, not with, we close people off from themselves. We constrain them to our experiences and world view.
The coach is Obi-Wan, Gandalf, Dumbledoor, Alabaster. The guide, not the hero.
When we start to slip into advice or problem solving, flip this into questions for the person being coached.
This returns the focus to the Hero of the Journey. It’s their story, you're the guide.