The Tao of Coaching: Boost Your Effectiveness at Work by Inspiring and Developing Those Around You

Very well written book with useful concepts for management effectiveness

Un belle ouvrage concis et bien écrit.Se lit facilement. J'apprehendais le côté zen-mystique mais pas du tout au final même s'il y a quelques références. Une agréable découverte pour ma part alors je connais le sujet.

good

If you are into or want to get into coaching, this book gives you clarity on how to move someone a step by step

I am a coach. I coach. It’s what I have trained and am qualified to do.That said, coaching is far more than a profession, it really is a way of life. The questions I ask of my clients, I have asked and continue to ask myself on a daily basis. While I am tempted to say “I practise what I preach”, I cannot emphasise enough that what I do is as far from preaching as is possible. I ask questions, I challenge beliefs, I probe, I explore… and more.But coming back to coaching as a process I go through, I always see the most progress in my clients when they take the methods I use with them, and try to apply these themselves to their work, rest and play. I take far more satisfaction from the client who requires only a few sessions, because they imitate and implement the practices I teach them, than the client whom I work with for months who sees the coaching as the only vehicle for progress. Coaching, and even more so with self-coaching, changes lives.The Tao of Coaching alludes expertly to the multitude of facets coaching has. It gives the reader the very basics of a variety of tools for coaching yourself and others. It isn’t the easiest introduction to coaching, and many readers may have more questions than answers if they are completely new to the concept of coaching. For those willing to try fresh approaches however, they’ll find at least one or two approaches to take into their working lives.Primarily The Tao of Coaching is aimed at those in a corporate environment. The subtitle tells us is it will boost our effectiveness of work by inspiring and developing those around us, but who reads subtitles? I have to admit and agree that assimilation of the coaching tools into an individual's arsenal will achieve this very claim.The book follows the story of Alex, who through each chapter recalls his learning of a new coaching tool. The author, Landsberg, gives Alex the challenges many of us in the coaching world are familiar with, which Alex swiftly overcomes with a new coaching tool. One can’t help feeling Landsberg over simplifies the corporate environment as every obstacle is only ever one coaching tool away from the perfect solution. Busy business people will be left thinking “that wouldn’t work in my company” and professional coaches will be left thinking “it would require a little more input than that”. Readers should not dismiss any of the techniques on that basis though. Landsberg is highlighting the benefits of a coaching approach in the workplace. Anyone who has received coaching will know that he doesn’t exaggerate the payoffs, merely leaves the obstacles for the reader to discover… Like a good teacher, allowing pupils to make their own mistakes.Do you like make mistakes? I have no hesitations in recommending this book. Those open minded, willing for change, or just desperate to enforce a new culture in their company will all find effective, proven methods for doing so. Those who don’t like making their own mistakes will be put off early by the seemingly naivety of Alex and his black and white progress through the world of coaching. Most people reading a book review of a coaching book written by a coach are far enough down their own coaching journey to get so much from this book, full of brilliant tools, tips and tactics. So buy it, read it and share it with colleagues. You’re going to need allies and converts to boost the effectiveness of those around you. Indeed, there are ideas within this book to get others on board. If they don’t work however, and you have more questions than answers… employ a professional coach.