WHAT DOES GOOD COACHING LOOK LIKE??

I am occasionally bothered when I hear clients talk about previous coaching experiences.  A quote from Andre Agassi got me started on this today. He uses the word "student".  I substitute the word "client".

From the October HBR:
—Coaching is not what you know. It's what the 'client' learns.  
And for the client to learn, you have to 'learn' him or her.  The greats spend a lot of time understanding where the client is. The day the coach stops learning is the day he or she should stop teaching/coaching—

From me:

Good solid coaching:

—is not provocative or confronting as a common practice 

—does offer a challenge or experiment with each meeting

—helps you see your own actions and values more clearly

—creates curiosity about trying something different

—allows you to choose the work you want to do and are ready to do

—does not create dependency

—is creative in helping you generate new options of all kinds

—is very practical and realistic about the world you work in, but not limited by it

—should not be something you dread or makes you feel wrong or guilty.  

—should be enjoyable and creative which doesn't mean easy

—brings about insight that allows new behavior, satisfaction and a truer you 


There, my two cents.