Coaching Case Study By Ying Xi Alvin Koh
(Career Coach, SINGAPORE)
The case study consisted of one main player as a coach (Jason) during the coaching session.
Jason is a Property Agent who provides advice, support and guidance to his clients’ needs and presents them with viable choices.
The core problem / challenges on the following subjects are explained below:
Jason is highly motivated Property Agent with the hungry for success and having the support from his vast network in the real estate industry, he is able to provide “quick-fix” answers to most of his clients. Jason has begins the coaching session well by sharing the ICF core competencies with his client and explaining the role of a coach is not a therapy, consulting or mentoring.
Although, Jason is able to engage well to his client, there are couple of times where he tends to ask the next question too quickly before allowing his client to complete her sentences. And there are few occasions where Jason has to make his client repeats again in order to understand what the client wants due to his earlier interruption. Eventually, the coaching session has become a 60% listening and 40% speaking to his client. This action may cause the coach to miss out valuable information for giving the client the chance to finish her sharing.
Lastly, Jason needs to be sensitive in his questioning to avoid discomfort and pressure to his client. He asked a question like “Why are you making your team members to work on a public holidays?” and eventually, his client started to behave in a more defensive manner and looking really unhappy. The word ‘why’, may sound easy for people to understand and response but it has the risk of being easily interpreted as a request for people to justify themselves for their action and when a person feels pressure, he or she will become defensive and begin to reply in a logical way and that is not going to benefit in coaching session.
The specific coaching skills / approaches as defined below:
In Jason’s case, I will explain to him the purpose and important of being an Active Listener and respecting his client. He needs to learn and adopt the 80/20 rule whereby he should be listening more (80%) and speak lesser (20%) of his time. The more he listens, he will be able to focus and understand better of his client’s needs and not missing out any valuable information.
Jason needs to avoid using the word ‘why’ and improve his questioning such as, “Can you perhaps say a little more about the importance or necessity of having your team back on a public holiday.” Using powerful questioning will help to move the client towards what they desire, not questions that ask for the client to justify or look backwards. This will sound more gentle and respectful to the client.
The following are expected results of my coaching processes:
Active Listening – Adopt the 80/20 rule (Listen to client 80% versus talking to client 20%)
Jason will be able to focus completely on what his client is saying and understand her needs by patiently listening to her to complete her sentences and what she want to express.
Powerful Questioning – Simple to understand and inoffensive (Justification)
By applying powerful questioning, this will encourage the smooth flow of a conversation as the client is able to concentrate on her thoughts and respond naturally.
Lastly, this will make the client feel more comfortable and willing to answer because it’s both simple to understand and inoffensive in its tone and the client is likely to provide a better quality answer to Jason and that will result in a more beneficial coaching session for both of them.
