Cambridge Business Association
Breakthrough Coaching
Book

Breakthrough Coaching

Creating Lightbulb Moments in Your Coaching Conversations

Marcia Reynolds
Berrett-Koehler, 2024
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Well Structured
  • Eloquent
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Are you looking to refine your coaching skills and have a more profound effect on your clients’ lives? Master Certified Coach Marcia Reynolds equips you with the tools and techniques needed to guide your clients toward the kinds of “light bulb moments” that lead to significant breakthroughs in thinking and behavior. Reynolds combines expert knowledge with real-world examples to help you navigate complex coaching challenges. Her practical strategies – from allowing space for emotional reflection to defining clear, attainable goals – will allow you to elevate your coaching conversations to new heights of clarity and effectiveness.

Summary

Don’t try to be the perfect coach; instead, focus on being fully present for your client.

A safe, open environment is a prerequisite for meaningful dialogue. Your ability to create such an environment hinges on embodying a coaching mindset: being fully present and attentive to clients. To be fully present, you must embrace “unselfing”: practicing humility and letting go of the belief you must be a “perfect” coach to help people. When you practice being present as you use your coaching skills, you will, inevitably, grow in your craft. 

To “unself” and become more present, work to set aside your personal needs, expectations and judgments in coaching relationships. Foster an open, non-directive mindset that prioritizes the client’s experiences and perspectives. Cultivate the mental habits of being a “self-less witness” to the client’s journey, maintaining a calm, curious, compassionate presence and believing in the client’s inherent strength and capability to grow.

Harness your emotions.

Maintaining a calm and compassionate coaching presence requires tuning into your emotional responses. Relying...

About the Author

Marcia Reynolds, PsyD and Master Certified Coach, is president of Covisioning, a leadership training and coaching firm. She holds a doctoral degree in organizational psychology and Master’s degrees in education and communications.

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