This particular risk, associated with the work of an influence coach, is more likely to occur if you are really good at your job. The more you help your client, the more value you add, the more likely you will find yourself wondering if you have actually earned your fee. Sadly, the buyer and the client may also be wondering that. Influence Coaching Trap #3 is: Read More

Perhaps one of the most challenging things about being an influence coach (and one of the most interesting) is the higher likelihood that you will be called to help them in a crisis. This is not a reflection on your lack of skill, but a feature of the territory you are working in. Developing influence requires that clients step out of their comfort zones and take some risks. With practice, the risks reduce as competence and confidence grow. Meantime, your client could find themselves in a tight spot, and they are still learning how to manage the politics and become an influential person. For clarity, here are some of the reasons why clients may land in hot Read More

When you are new to working with influencing styles, many challenges can head your way from the client. In this article, I will share and explore some of my experiences, and a few hard lessons, which will help you to maximise the value you bring to your client. The first one explains what I often refer to as development indigestion.

It isn't me, but who am I?

This actually happened Read More

If you approach someone with the aim of influencing them to do something, your influencing style makes a major contribution to how effective your communication will be. If you use a style that is different from the person you are aiming to influence, they may become distracted by that difference. And, if that happens, your potential to influence plummets. Instead of listening to what you have to say, they will be wondering why on earth you behave like that. Coaching people to make more effective use of influencing styles brings massive benefits. It can quite literally transform their key stakeholder relationships. It doesn't need to take long to achieve this either. If you follow the process I outline below, it is likely that your clients will be able to adapt their behaviour as a result of a single coaching session. Read More

A great deal has been said over the years about demonstrating the value of coaching, and rightly so. When coaching first began to become recognised as a legitimate development option, it was generally a loose arrangement providing a senior manager with an informal opportunity to work on their performance. As the profession of coaching developed, and the investment grew, budget holders needed a way of controlling and measuring what was happening. Entirely reasonable. However, one of the challenges this presents is that it risks transferring accountability for performance from the client to the coach. This can have serious consequences for the actual result, especially when it comes to sustainability. When I began training coaches in the mid-1990s, I often used to refer to coaching as the most Read More

This is another of those traps which are so easy to fall into, particularly because you want to help so much. When you do fall into this, getting out again is rather difficult. It is not peculiar to influence coaching, however, there is something about this topic that makes it more likely. Influence Coaching Trap #2 is: Read More