Coaching Tip #78

Tagged – Coaching Practice, Coach Development

Obviously everyone who takes up coaching can ‘speak’ in the most general sense.  However the role of the coach involves a lot of ‘speaking’ in front of groups, public speaking if you will, that must be mastered for coaching to be truly effective.  The most significant of these groups is the team they are coaching and to whom they must speak in trainings and in meetings.

Some practical speaking tips for coaches include:

• Speak clearly. One common error is to fade out at the end of sentences.
• Speak in sentences, including pronouns and verbs. Don’t assume that the implied I / We / You are actually understood.
• Be explicit. Say exactly what you want them to do.
• Avoid verbal ticks. ‘Ums’ and ‘ahs’ and ‘oks’ are the most obvious ones, but everyone has phrases or words that they repeat to avoid uncomfortable silences. Think of the thing you used to make fun of your teacher for.
• Embrace silence. Silent moments seem uncomfortable when you are starting out but they emphasise important points and reduce confusion.
• Explain less. After you have explained something, stop.  Explaining more only adds confusion.
• Be present.  Standing up lends more weight to your message than sitting down.

The collection of Coaching Tips can be found here.

For more great coaching tips, check out the Vyacheslav Platonov coaching book here.