Co-Active Coaching, 2nd Edition: New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and, Life

Part I is "Coaching Fundamentals." Here they outline the model which places the client squarely in the center. The model focuses on the coach using his or her skills to focus on the client's fulfillment, balance, and process. The intake session is discussed here sufficiently to create the context of the later coaching sessions.

Part II is "Co-Active Coaching Skills." The authors detail in this section five skills key to the coach's success: listening, use of intuition, exploration of curiosity, action and learning, and self-management. There are activities to practice each skill at the end of each chapter--anyone wanting to coach should not skip these exercises, which are carefully designed to get to the heart of the skill described.

Part III is "Co-Active Coaching Processes." This section explains "the three core principles of coaching:" fulfillment, balance, and process. Especially helpful here is Chapter 11, "Tips and Traps," a valuable addition that warns and prepares the coach for things that may not go quite right....

The last section is "The Coach's Toolkit," and this alone is worth the price of the book. It includes Action Plans, Client Activities and Worksheets, Intake Checklists--everything a coach needs to begin a successful coaching program. A wise coach will undertake the exercises and worksheets for himself or herself, and thus will better understand what the client is asked to do.


Whole-person coaching...a powerful approach.   February 28, 1999
115 out of 120 found this review helpful

Co-coaching is distinctive in that it involves both the coach and the client; it is also referred to as personal/professional coaching because it addresses the whole person (the whole of their life).

Many books we have reviewed on this subject, while of value within the workplace, do not strive to address the multidimensional nature of the individual. In contrast, the approach presented here is distinctly holistic.

The authors' offer a model plus a set of skills and techniques. The book is filled with specifics and excellent insights, and gives extensive guidance about how to be highly effective in coaching. About 75 pages are devoted to "The Coach's Toolkit," consisting of forms, checklists, exercises, resources and a glossary. This book offers a potentially powerful approach to coaching. It is, in our view, requisite reading for anyone involved in, or considering, coaching. Highly recommended.


Model + Skills + Techniques = Success   September 3, 2001
Susan G. Dunn (San Antonio, TX United States)
60 out of 65 found this review helpful

While I am already coaching, this book was very helpful to me. There are as many ways of coaching as there are coaches, and this delineates one succinct method to follow in a relatively new, unregulated, and confusing field. The numerous pages of "tools" are worth the money alone. Wish I hadn't spent what I spent on a CD to get other versions. The skills and techniques affirm what I've been doing already, but push me onward with conviction, adding layers to my understanding of how to be most effective. It's the clearest description of coaching I've come across and I recommend it highly. It's well written, authoritative and highly useable.


No nonsense review by professional coach who uses this approach   June 27, 2006
Patrick D. Goonan (Pleasanton, CA)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

I am a professional coach who has been using these principles in my practice for a number of years. Initially, I thought some of them were somewhat questionable, but over time, I have found this to be the most powerful and simple methodology available. It is to learn and apply.

One principle of good coaching is to ask powerful questions. This is what evokes deep inquiry and access to important needs underlying emotions. This is primary focus of any coaching method, but this book emphasizes doing this within the context of a negotiated relationship which serves as a container for the client's process. This creates the safety for magic to happen.

This book emphasizes that it is the coach's responsibility to hold the client's agenda and take their leads from the client's process. This is much different than an arm's length approach centered on the coach's opinions and expertise. This is very validating to the person who is receiving the coaching and helps deepen the relationship. This creates a positive feedback loop over time and allows the person being coached to be more vulnerable.

Another aspect of this particular model is that it taps into people's peak experiences to mine for important values and experiences that point the way to fulfillment. If these are developed properly, they can help the client to propel themselves beyond their biggest fears. This dimension of the model relates to fulfillment which is the ultimate goal of this methodology along with balance and self-management.

The explanation of the overall model is excellent. Focusing on the client's fulfillment, balance and process forms the foundation of the coaching relationship. The authors clearly explain that the coaching relationship is continuously negotiated and refined so that a safe space is maintained that provides just the right balance of challenge and support for personal growth. This is a good foundation for any kind of interpersonal growth work and gives the coach frequently reality checks which are important in working with different personality types. Some other coaching models are prone to a lot of mind reading, but the negotiated relationship aspect of this methodology helps to counterbalance this tendency.

In Part II the authors talk about five foundational skills: listening, the use of intuition, curiosity, action and learning and self-management. It may seem obvious on the surface, but empathetic listening guided by curiosity and intuition helps people to really open up. This method places these skills squarely in the middle of the coaching process and emphasizes staying with the client's process in the moment and trusting the leads that come as pointers to solutions. The value of intuition in coaching can't be overestimated and in this way the model goes beyond simple talk therapy based on cognitive principles. As we all know, much of communication is non-verbal e.g. facial expressions, body language and tone of voice. Paying attention to these and other non-verbal cues often results in deep insights that might normally be dismissed.

I also like the explanation of the relationship between action and deep learning. These two areas can be looked at metaphorically as two legs walking. In other words, to move forward the person being coached needs to alternate between deep learning and taking action to move forward in their process. I have found this to be true. Deep learning by itself is not enough to bring about lasting change. One must alternate learning with taking what is learned and applying it in the world.

Overall, this method respects the client's unique process and provides a way to work with anyone where the coaches own projections are not likely to intrude. It is optimistic and trusts that at the core, the person is good and used methods that help the client to get to this "felt sense." This is complimented by an emphasis on embodying change which they refer to as the "in the bones" principle. I have used this method over many hours of coaching and it does get results. It is also easy for new coaches to learn and has built in mechanisms that prevent new coaches from getting themselves into trouble.

While in some ways the book could have been better written or organized, it is still well-presented and packed with lots of useful information beyond the basics. It also has specific tools and forms that a new coach will find useful in their practice.

I have read many coaching books and this is the best one I have found overall. I think any coach, manager, parent or counselor would benefit from reading this book. What this book doesn't address is how to get a practice up and running. However, that is not its purpose.



A supplement, not a substitute for live coaching training.   November 20, 2003
Michael Chiodi (St. Paul, MN USA)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

This book is a good summary of the "Co-Active Coaching Training" program conducted by the Coaching Training Institute. Unfortunately, it doesn't (or can't possibly) act as a substitute for the program. The training itself is based heavily on experiential learning that can't be delivered in a book. The book is useful as a reference, especially for those fortunate enough to have gone through the CTI program, and also for those thinking about signing up for the program. It might be difficult to use the model or some of the tools without the patience to figure out the jargon, but none the less, there is valuable information. One example is the "powerful questions" reference section that will benefit anyone trying to coach effectively.