Coaching guidebook

Reactive Coaching

A reactive coaching approach is driven by someone’s stated needs, through questions that dig into their current challenges. While this is generally easier to execute for the coach, it requires a certain level of self awareness and proactivity on the learner. Encouraging the learner to bring challenges to the session and consider an agenda beforehand can contribute to the effectiveness of this approach.

Proactive Coaching

A proactive coaching approach requires more preparation and analysis by the coach, but can lead to highly productive sessions that lead to high performance and growth. In this approach, the coach suggests skills for the learner to develop and proactively considers the direction of learning. The coach creates a plan that takes into account their strengths, weaknesses, feedback, current projects, and focus skills. The coach can also facilitate goal check-ins and review skills that they've found to frequently add value.

Both approaches have value!

You can calibrate how much to use of each on a spectrum, based on someone's level of proactivity, self-awareness, and learning style.