Smart Thinking
The Smart School Blog

XNick Bolton E-mail: nick.bolton@www.thesmartschool.co.uk Info: Nick Bolton is founder of the Smart School and provides the vision, passion and energy that makes the school such a unique place to be. Within the school he now heads up the unique Rapid Results Business Coaching programme and delivers some of the Master Classes.Posts by the author (30)

Uncovering the “present” in coaching

Having spent many hours observing coaching with my training coaches I have noticed a strange phenomenon! Coaches will often spend either no time or heaps of time discussing what the current situation is for a client.

When they spend no time, it’s as if the here and now doesn’t matter and there’s a headlong rush towards the next steps and options for change. When they spend too much time, they tend to get caught up in fact-finding and building a more and more detailed picture of what’s currently happening.

Neither are the ideal way to deal with the present in coaching. Exploring the present should be about helping the client to know where they’re starting from, what strengths they bring, what they need to work on etc.
Think of it this way. You might know that you are going to drive to Manchester but if you don’t know where you’re starting from then you have no clear way of knowing which way to go!

There’s no difference in any kind of journey really is there? In coaching we’re looking at a journey from where you are to where you want to be whether that’s in a professional capacity or in the client’s personal life.

So knowing where you are starting from is critical. Read more

Filed Under Transformational Coaching

XNick Bolton E-mail: nick.bolton@www.thesmartschool.co.uk Info: Nick Bolton is founder of the Smart School and provides the vision, passion and energy that makes the school such a unique place to be. Within the school he now heads up the unique Rapid Results Business Coaching programme and delivers some of the Master Classes.Posts by the author (30)

Coaching Opportunities are Everywhere when you Open your Eyes

I know that blog entries should be short and sweet but sometimes they need to be long and direct! So I hope you’ll forgive this extended post.

As a coach, opportunities are everywhere for you but you have to open your eyes to them. And be prepared to act.

Let me tell a quick story which is instructive:

Now occasionally I still like an old fashioned English breakfast and on this particular day I went in to what looked like a less than salubrious café near to my office. Read more

Filed Under From the Director's Chair