Problems Coaching Solves: 10 Evidence-Based Coaching Practices

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Problems Coaching Solves, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Practices that may help

1. Coach the person, not just the problem
   The most important thing a manager can work on is the person’s capacity to handle future problems, not just today’s.
   The Leader as Coach: A New Management Paradigm
2. Generate Options before evaluating any
   Brainstorm all possible paths before judging — then the coachee, not the coach, narrows them.
   The GROW Coaching Model, Made Practical
3. Explore Reality — establish an honest assessment of the current situation
   Help the person see their current situation clearly and specifically, without judgment or premature solutions.
   The GROW Model: Coaching Conversations That Actually Move People
4. Obstacle anticipation before close
   Before ending, ask "what could get in the way?" and pre-plan the response.
   The GROW Coaching Model, Made Practical
5. Ask "What’s the real challenge here for you?"
   The presenting problem is rarely the actual problem — this question cuts through to what really matters.
   The Coaching Habit: Seven Questions to Be More Coach-Like
6. Maintain a high question-to-statement ratio throughout GROW
   Ask questions far more often than you offer statements — the coachee’s thinking is the product.
   The GROW Model: Coaching Conversations That Actually Move People
7. Climb the why–why ladder
   Ask "why is this a problem?" repeatedly to reveal the higher-level goal your current framing may be missing.
   Problem Reframing: Solving the Right Problem First
8. Distinguish diagnostic trees (why?) from solution trees (how?)
   Use a "why?" tree to find root causes and a "how?" tree to generate solutions — mixing them produces confusing structures.
   Issue Tree Analysis
9. Map Reality with curious, non-judgmental inquiry
   Build an accurate, specific picture of the current situation before jumping to solutions.
   The GROW Coaching Model, Made Practical
10. Problem-solve together once the child is calm
    After the emotional storm passes, invite the child to find a solution with you.
    Emotion Coaching (John Gottman)

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• I keep solving the same person’s problems over and over, slightly different each time→
• The moment the person I’m coaching names a couple of ideas, I jump in with "have you considered" and basically hand them my answer→
• Someone comes to me with "it’s a disaster, he doesn’t respect me," and I just take their version at face value and start fixing→
• The people I coach leave fired up with a plan, but the first ordinary snag throws them and the whole thing quietly dies→
• We spend the whole conversation working on the problem they walked in with, and I keep sensing the thing that’s really got them stuck→

Describe your situation in your own words to search the complete practice library.