Claire writes: “Zoom world is loved by some and hated by others. One thing I love is that when I watch coaches coaching, I get the same view as them of the thinker thinking. My neighbours must be fed up with me saying loudly: ‘Please. Stop. Talking!’”
Coaching is about keeping someone’s thinking in flow so that they feel heard and get new insights into their own stuff. Sometimes that’s by keeping them in flow – sometimes it’s by asking a question from a different place. But what I observe a lot of the time is that the thinker has picked up the baton and is ready to move on… while their companion keeps talking. By the time the coach has stopped talking, a question that was powerful has become less effective. The thinker was sitting waiting for you to let go of the baton so they could speak.
When we are listening to the recording together, I stop it as soon as we see the thinker pick up the baton – in their face. It’s a bit of a game. And it’s deep learning. At that point the question was 10 out of 10. Then we count down for every word the coach says while they are holding on to the question. What they need to do is let go and let the question do its good work. That’s what the thinker is waiting for!”
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