Coaching is all about building constructive relationships with other high performers. It’s easy, especially if you already know the person, to skip a very important step when you begin to coach someone – or to coach them in a different way. If we just show up one day and say, “Hey, I’m going to coach you!” we shouldn’t be surprised if the response is underwhelming. We probably wouldn’t throw rose petals at most other people if they delivered that message to us either.
The fact is, this hesitance that people have about engaging in this sort of relationship often has less to do with us personally than it does with valid questions they need answered before they jump on the bandwagon. If we can answer those questions credibly, we have a good chance of getting off on the right foot. If not… well, let’s just say it may be a bit awkward for a while.
So what sorts of questions do high performers usually have in the back of their minds when they are asked into a coaching relationship? There’s no definitive list because each person is a bit different. But here are a few that come up a lot:
– How is this going to work?
– Whose agenda are we on – mine or yours?
– What makes you think you can help me?
– What is your agenda in doing this? What’s in it for you?
These questions may seem skeptical, but hey, most of us are skeptical creatures. And hard experience tells us that if we don’t anticipate and answer these questions, the chances of a really useful relationship drop like a rock.
What other questions do you think people ask before getting into a coaching relationship? Click comment and let us know!
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