A Process For Business Coaching and Mentoring 

There are many ways to be a  business coach or mentor. This is just one of them. The process is suggestive, not prescriptive. There are times when your client will know exactly what s/he wants to use time with you for. There will be times when it is appropriate for you to speak more directly and to give advice. However, significant learning often comes from using a process like this one because it encourages deeper reflection.  

       a.         Informal updating - e.g.

How have you been?

What's been happening that is important to you?

What’s the status of what we have discussed previously

What do you most want to spend time on today? And in what order?

      b.         Headlines

The client takes time to tell the story of her or his issue.

Telling is largely left to the client.  Clarity is not a priority at this point.

The mentor uses this time to note own responses in order to avoid making assumptions or bringing own feelings into the client’s issues.

        c.         Ventilation

If the client has not expressed his/her feelings about the problem s/he is encouraged to do so. E.g.

How did you feel about that?

What emotions do you have about it right now?

       d.         Clarification 

The mentor encourages the client to define what the issue is and what the client wants to be different. The aim is a statement that the client feels is a fair description of what s/he perceives as the problem and an outcome that will help the mentor and client to work purposefully.

It may be useful to focus on one part of the issue if it is a large and complicated one.

       e.         Scoping

The mentor asks questions to generate in the client a wider understanding of the problem. See examples of scoping questions below.

         f.          Identifying Positive Elements 

When a person labels a situation as a problem it is easy to overlook elements that are positive. The mentor asks questions to help the client identify the benefits from the situation, any learning from the issue and how it is dealt with. E.g.  someone may learn that they can cope, or what are their limits at this point in time, or about other development needs. 

      g.         Identifying Alternative Courses of Action

The mentor asks questions to help the client become aware of the full range of choices available.

       h.         Intermediate Goals

The mentor helps the problem holder decide what his/her next steps, however small, are going to be. If appropriate, establish a time frame for actions. 

        i.          Final Check

This approach is far from mechanical. It works best when the exchanges are human, almost conversational and appear natural. Keep in mind, most of us use parts of this approach instinctively at certain times with some people. If you can sit and discuss constructively with someone who is agitated, you already have most of skills for this approach.

Conventions of This Approach 

a.      The mentor encourages the client to acknowledge the issue belongs to her/him. People are more likely to take effective action when they own an issue. (This does not necessarily mean that they are the primary cause of an issue).  Advice giving may get in the way of people owning their problems.

b.      The mentor needs to own her/his responses to what is presented by the client. What is your emotional response and what does this tempt you to do? The purpose of owning your response is to keep the focus on the problem holder by not projecting your issues or responses into the problem.

c.      Your role in this approach is to act as a facilitative consultant rather than an expert. Ask questions to help the client reach her or his own conclusions. The style is similar to that used by many counsellors. Work from where people are and allow them to deepen and widen their understanding through questioning and time to think. Pauses should not automatically be filled with new questions.

d.      If you feel you have relevant expertise this could be offered towards the end of the process by asking the client if she or he would like to hear your views. Even if the client asks for advice, if the scope of the problem has not been established, suggest waiting at least until this stage has been completed.  

e.      Not Taking Sides.  The mentor does not take sides. Empathise with the client  but do not make statements about the rights or wrongs of  the problem or other parties involved.   

f.        Encourage "I" language.  Help the mentor to say "I" rather than "we," "one," or "you" when she or he means "I".  This is to help clarify ownership and involvement.  

The Thinking Behind This Approach

People use language to represent what is going on in their lives. Language is a way of modelling what we see as reality. Like other models, language simplifies and may even distort. This approach helps people to explore how they have modelled or thought about an issue by stimulating reflection on their description and the impact their choice of language has on them.

Do ask people what they mean by particular words and expressions rather than assume you know what is meant. E.g.

·        When you say you feel “x” (e.g. stuck, unsure, apprehensive) what does that mean for you?

·        When you call this “x” (e.g. a mess, knot, cul-de-sac), in what way is that an “x” for you?

·        When you say everyone is against the plan, do you really mean every single person?  

Examples of Scoping Questions

    1.      When did you first notice this was an issue?

2.      What did you notice?  What was your response then?

3.      What makes this a problem for you now?

4.      Does this remind you of other situations you have experienced? What is similar? What is different?

5.      Is anyone else is involved in this? What is their involvement?

6.      How do (you imagine) other people respond to this (type of) situation?  Is your response the same or different? Why is your response different?

7.      Have you asked other people how they perceive…?

8.      What do you think are the implications of doing “x”, / not doing anything?

9.      What sorts of things do you think contributed to “person y” doing what s/he did?

10. What are your feeling now about this person / situation ?

11. What are the implications of what has happened for future work?

  Paul Burns  

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