Marion Franklin has become my new coaching guru! Her wisdom gleaned from many years of experience and masterful coaching are packed into the pages of this excellent book. It’s a fabulous resource for both experienced coaches and those just starting out. Marion has a refreshingly direct approach and is clear on what does and does not constitute coaching. She has a strong emphasis on going deeper not broader and coaching the person, rather than their story or problem.
The book is packed with examples and concludes with the transcript of a full coaching conversation. She encourages coaches to take a helicopter approach, to stay above the person’s story and to not get caught in the details. The importance of taking a high-level view and observing the big picture also allows her to see themes. She describes the 25 most common themes she has identified.
Marion shares that as she coaches, she keeps two questions in mind to deepen her listening and curiosity:
1) Why are they telling me this?
2) What’s making this a problem for this person?
These questions guide her listening and the follow-up questions that she asks.
There is too much great content in this book to write all the highlights here, but I highly recommend you add this to your bookshelf, read it and practice implementing the powerful and practical coaching insights that Marion shares.