I recently wrote a review of this study for the Wellcoaches’ newsletter (www.wellcoach.com). I thought this was a good place to share this information with the larger coaching community.
Advice: To Give or Not to Give?
Study looks at coaches’ use and clients’ expectations of giving advice
Giving advice to clients is a hotly debated issue in the coaching community. Ask several coaches their philosophies on giving advice and you will probably get many different answers – ranging from giving no advice whatsoever, to giving advice when appropriate, to giving advice because of your unique expertise.
In his research study, “What role does advice play in professional coaching?”, Mike Alafaci seeks to discover what coaches are actually doing in regard to giving advice, what clients really want, and how this information can be applied to the future of coaching.
Alafaci identifies literature that cautions against giving advice to clients and that which discusses appropriate forms of advice. Among the arguments against coaches providing advice are that it causes clients to become dependent on their coaches, takes away self-responsibility, and can lead to projection of the coach’s beliefs onto the client instead of exploring issues from the client’s perspective.
There are arguments in favor of giving advice as well. Alafaci references Dave Buck, CEO of Coachville who believes that clients hire coaches with the assumption that the coach has information and expertise to share.
Among the specific findings of the study are some interesting results that are important to coaches.
• 97.2% of coaches said they give advice of some kind
• Of the coaches that give advice, 98% of them introduce new information and resources to their clients
• 94.5% make recommendations for consideration by the client
• 48.6% tell clients what to do (although not very often)
Compare the above to responses from the clients surveyed:
• 89.9% want some type of advice from their coaches
• Almost 90% of these respondents want their coaches to provide new information and resources
• 82.8% want to be given recommendations for consideration
• Only 12.5% want to be told what to do
Simply put, most coaches are giving some type of advice to clients, and most clients expect them to do this.
When discussing advice, Alafaci says there are two definitions of advice to be considered. The first is, “An opinion about what could or should be done”. Often this is expressed as what the coach thinks the client should do. The second is, “Information communicated”. This means giving information or resources that the client may use if desired. The first definition does not allow for a choice on the part of the client, while the “information communicated” definition allows the client to make a choice whether to use this information. When giving advice is discouraged by the coaching community, it is often because the first definition, giving an opinion, can be detrimental to the client. On the other hand, giving advice in the form of communicating information can give the client new insights but also allows for the client to make a decision to use it or not.
Based on the results of the study, Alafaci has identified three situations in which it is appropriate for coaches to offer advice to clients:
• After the client has made his or her own decision about a situation and is asking the coach for advice or information
• When the client is asking for it
• When coach earns the right to give the advice - by fully understanding the client’s situation and how he or she feels about it and receiving confirmation from the client that the coach’s understanding is correct
Alafaci concludes, “The role of advice in professional coaching can be to provide information at the right time in the right way to support the client’s performance, development and independence.”
Posted on Nov 14th 06 by Gillian Hood-Gabrielson.
Gillian Hood-Gabrielson is an intuitive eating and fitness coach specializing in overcoming overeating. She has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years, holds a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and is certified by ACSM and Wellcoaches. Having overcome emotional overeating after living with it for 25 years, Gillian has a great understanding of why so many people battle this disorder and has a passion for helping others overcome it so they can live their lives fully. http://www.healthieroutcomes.com
Other posts on Coachamatic by Gillian Hood-Gabrielson.
Hi, Andy,
The most intriguing finding of this study, for me, is that “Only 12.5% want to be told what to do.” That means 12.5% of he respondents DID want to be told what to do.
Fascinating!
Does that mean the coach should tell them waht to do?
Not necessarily.
Sometimes i point this out to the client, “May i share an observation with you? It sounds like you want me to tell you what to do? Is that what you really want?”
Often a person says they want to be told what to do when they feel overwhelmed or confused. What they need at that point is to slow down and “become comfortable with discomfort.” The answer is out there.
Yet there are times when I DO give advice. Your article gave me some great guidelines for knowing when to do so. And when not.
Warmly,
Don
Hi Don!
Thanks for the comment. It is interesting that 12.5% wanted to be told what to do. To me, they don’t sound coachable. As a fitness coach, I love what I do because I don’t tell my clients what to do. This was a main reason why I left personal training to coach instead.
I give advice as well, trying to keep a good balance between that and asking questions. I think every coach brings some expertise on certain subjects, and our clients want advice in that area.
Anyway, thanks for the comment, I am glad you liked the article!
Gillian
Coaching is so broad now. (Contrasted with the ’90s.)
Some people calling themselves coaches offer how-to programs. Essentially they are teachers. They teach their clients how to do something specific. And some monitor their students’ progress and advise them directly on how to hone their game.
What these coaches offer their clients has high value to their clients. Their clients hire them to “teach them” how to do something in particular effectively. And expect the coaches to do that.
That’s not what we considered classic coaching in the ’90s and is not what drew me to coaching. But I think it is a legitimate service.
I’m not sure it’s “coaching.” I’m not sure teaching is coaching. I know in one of Dave Buck’s definitions of coaching, he says coaches are teachers. I’m not sure he’s right. I think it’s OK for coaches to develop teaching programs in areas of expertise as add-on products, but I’m not sure that they are “coaching” when they offer those.
Regardless, clients who hire teachers, expect to be taught. And clients who hire teachers who promise a step-by-step how-to program, expect to be told what to do.
I wonder if this study included how-to-program coaches and clients?
Hi Ken,
Thanks for your comment. I understand your distinction between teachers and coaches. As an Intuitive Eating coach, my approach includes true coaching as well as teaching, because I am working with clients on a highly niched topic.
I don’t know exactly what kind of coaches and clients were surveyed, but you may be able to find something in the original paper (see link in original post), or you could contact the author.
Thanks,
Gillian
Great discussion! Recently Dave Buck amended one of his definitions regarding coaching and teaching. Probably due to close exposure to Zuño Kristal, Dave changed the definition from coaching as “specialized teaching” to coaching as “specialized learning”. As coaches we create and hold space for our clients to learn and then provide structure for them to turn those lessons into action. Sometimes the lessons come directly from the client’s life, other times the information may come from the coach. ~ Michael
Glad to hear Dave Buck is evolving his definition. “Specialized learning” is precisely what coaching is about from the perspective of the client. But does that free coaches from being “teachers?”
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If it means, as Michael Weitz wrote, that coaches “create and hold space for our clients to learn,” then it does.
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If coaches interpret it to mean coaches “provide structure for them [clients] to turn those lessons into action,” it may not. We may see coaches locked into rigid structures of their own creation.
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The beauty of coaching as evolved by Thomas Leonard in the ’90s was the high level of “in-the-moment-ness” and spontaineity required of the coach and that the coach infused into the process.
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While, as I said earlier, I don’t object to coaches developing and promoting programs and systems, I see the “real” coaching as taking place in those moments when the coach is so engaged in what is coming up for the client that the coach has absolutely no expectation or clue of how the session will turn out. Those coaches who have a structured solution or programmed response or “3-step action plan” for every issue that arises essentially are trainers.
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Training has value and has its place. And I’m seeing a lot of people doing training and calling it coaching. Coaching, though, in my construct, is much bigger than that. (And I’m sure it is in Dave Buck’s and Michael Weitz’s as well.)
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Anyone else see it like that?
Great discussion. I think the debate around giving advice/not giving advice is indicative of the diverse use of the term and/or title of “coach”. As you are reading this, ask yourself, how do you define coaching? The International Coach Federation (ICF) provides a very good description on coaching and how it distinguishes itself from other support methodologies. As a Life Coach trained by an ICF accredited coach training program, I rarely give advice and always ask permission before doing so. Advice giving can send a message to the client that something is lacking and they need “help” or rescuing. This might be appropriate for other support methodologies, but I see coaching as a place to hold clients capable, creative, resourceful and whole. This allows the client to take risks, move out their comfort zone and leave the status quo. From there, evolution and growth can occur and clients begin to trust and rely on themselves. These are the real gifts of coaching! That said, not everyone is ready and open for coaching and some do seek assistance from other support methodologies. I have total respect for where people are in their lives and would rather refer a client to another professional rather than compromise the ethics that I stand by as a coach. If want to learn a skill or be told how to do something, I’ll hire a consultant or educator. If I want to leverage my innate abilities, talents and strengths, I’ll hire a coach. With that said, as a healthcare professional, I am frequently asked to give advice because the client simply lacks the knowledge. For example, as a certified personal trainer, many of my clients simply don’t know how to begin an exercise program. For these situations, I set very clear boundaries around when the coaching ends and when the consulting begins. This protects the integrity of the coaching relationship and the designed alliance with the client. A trained, intuitive and experienced coach will know when it’s time to give advice and when it’s time to allow the client to step up to the plate. Happy coaching!
Terri Holley, MS CHES
Health and Life Coach