Techniques & Communication Skills Flashcards

What is active listening?

Answer: Focused listening

Active listening is a fundamental coaching skill that involves fully concentrating on what the client is communicating, both verbally and non-verbally. It requires the coach to be present, attentive, and engaged to truly understand the client's message, perspective, and underlying emotions. This focused attention helps build rapport and ensures the coach can respond thoughtfully and effectively.

Why ask open-ended questions?

Answer: Encourage reflection

Open-ended questions are designed to encourage clients to provide detailed, thoughtful responses rather than simple 'yes' or 'no' answers. By prompting clients to elaborate and explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, these questions facilitate deeper self-reflection and insight. This process empowers clients to discover their own solutions and perspectives, which is central to effective coaching.

What is rapport building?

Answer: Build trust

Rapport building is the process of establishing a connection, mutual understanding, and trust between the coach and the client. A strong rapport creates a safe and comfortable environment where the client feels heard, respected, and understood. This foundation of trust is essential for open communication, honest self-disclosure, and the overall effectiveness of the coaching relationship.

What improves clarity in coaching?

Answer: Paraphrase & summarize

Paraphrasing involves restating what the client has said in the coach's own words, while summarizing condenses the key points of a discussion. These techniques demonstrate active listening and confirm the coach's understanding of the client's message, which helps to clarify information and ensure alignment. This not only validates the client's perspective but also allows them to hear their own thoughts reflected, often leading to deeper insights.

What role do affirmations play?

Answer: Boost motivation

Affirmations are positive statements that acknowledge and validate a client's strengths, efforts, progress, and capabilities. In coaching, they serve to reinforce self-confidence and self-efficacy, helping clients recognize their potential and past successes. This positive reinforcement is crucial for boosting motivation, encouraging continued effort, and empowering clients to pursue their goals with greater belief in themselves.

What’s the GROW model?

Answer: Coaching model

The GROW model is a widely recognized and highly effective framework used in coaching to structure conversations and facilitate goal setting and problem-solving. GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Will (or Way Forward), guiding the coach and client through a systematic process. This model provides a clear roadmap for productive coaching sessions, helping clients identify objectives, explore their current situation, brainstorm solutions, and commit to actionable steps.

What builds empathy?

Answer: Understand client

Empathy in coaching involves the ability to deeply understand and share the feelings of another person, seeing the world from their perspective without judgment. It requires actively listening and seeking to comprehend the client's experiences, emotions, and motivations. This deep understanding builds connection and trust, making the client feel heard and validated, which is fundamental for effective coaching and fostering a supportive relationship.

How to manage client resistance?

Answer: Reflect & explore

Client resistance often signals underlying concerns, fears, or unmet needs that the client may not yet be able to articulate. Instead of confronting or ignoring it, a coach should reflect on what they are hearing and explore the reasons behind the resistance with curiosity and empathy. This approach helps to uncover the root cause, address the client's concerns, and transform resistance into an opportunity for deeper understanding and progress.

Why document sessions?

Answer: Track and plan

Documenting coaching sessions involves taking notes on discussions, insights, agreed-upon action plans, and client progress. This practice is crucial for tracking the client's journey, monitoring their development, and ensuring continuity between sessions. Good documentation allows the coach to review past conversations, prepare effectively for future sessions, and collaboratively plan next steps, ultimately supporting the client's long-term growth and accountability.