Judgement vs. Observation -

With Merci Miglino, PCC

Understanding the differences between judgement and observation is key to masterful coaching. Easier said than done as we often don’t realize we are in judgement. Letting go of our opinion and being more observant are practices that can greatly enhance your ability to effectively coach.

A judgment is rendering an opinion.

A judgement says, “I think this, about that.” And in coaching, we want to stay squarely in the observing posture. One of the reasons people hire coaches is to get that objective opinion and with least judgment, because often they are doing the judgment all by themselves. They don’t need another person to judge them.

So what does this look like? Let’s say, you have a client whose name is Peter and he comes to you, and he’s having some difficulty getting his team to contribute. They don’t voice opinions, they don’t give him feedback and so he is frustrated. Now a judgment would be:

Wow, your frustration…I hear your frustration and I think it’s coming from the fact that you are frustrated with your team and therefore they are reluctant to speak up.

That’s a judgment.

In observation, which would be noticing what is, that’s the coach’s role. “I hear you’re frustrated. I hear your team is not participating in a way that you would like. What, if any role are you playing in this?” It’s right through the heart of the matter. It’s just an observation. And frankly, they get to decide what role they are playing and I.. that’s a judgment on my end, not appropriate in coaching, they get to decide. So, you check in with the client and you have careful, open, non-directive questions that helps them explore what’s going on and help them come to the next stage of action or change they want to make.

An effective coaching session is always about a learning experience for both the coach, because they are getting to know the client and for the client who’s getting to know themselves and the possibilities that are open to them. Ultimately, at the end of the session, it’s good to ask for feedback from your client. Was the session helpful? Is there something else I can do? What if anything, would you like to add to this? This helps you hear from them how the coaching session went.

*Images kindly supplied by Kathryn Grohusky