Using Your Coaching Skills outside of Work

The skills and techniques learned during your coaching certification can be applied outside of work.  Volunteer boards, Service organizations, industry networking groups, faith groups, personal network, community of friends and family are just a few of the groups for whom your skills and training may contribute to in meaningful ways. 

There are two ways to leverage your training:

1. Offer a Formal Coaching Session– May I coach you?  This allows the other party (or participants) to fully consent and engage in a formal coaching session.  You may want to articulate what happens in a coaching session and the role you / they play.  This also helps put context and structure to what the individual or group hopes to accomplish.
2. A-La-Carte Skills– When we draw upon these skills outside of a formal coaching conversation, we must be clear that we are not “coaching”; we are simply using the same skill, tool or technique that we use while coaching in a new and different way. That being said, using skills independently of coaching can still provide deep and meaningful impact. There are many opportunities where this is appropriate during day-to-day conversations.  Typically, these skills are most helpful when an individual or group has ambiguity or lack of clarity.  Posing one powerful question, reframing or telescoping in/out can sometimes help bring greater understanding and/or clarity to the situation.  Recognize the technique being used as a stand-alone tool in a specific moment.