10 Coaching Styles: Application and Importance

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Ten Types of Coaching Styles

Here are ten styles of coaching to consider:

1. Democratic Coaching

The democratic leadership and coaching style is about collaboration and is sometimes called participative coaching. The logic behind this is that clients are more likely to hold themselves accountable if they play an active role during coaching sessions.

Characteristics of democratic coaching:

• Coaching sessions are democratic; the client gives feedback and thoughts and shapes expectations.
• The coach and the client share decision-making. Neither can act unilaterally when making training, strategy, and operations decisions.
• Democratic coaching empowers clients and allows them to take ownership of progress and outcomes.
• Democratic coaching requires a high level of trust.

Advantages of the democratic coaching style:

• Elevated client motivation and participation.
• Increased creativity and innovation.
• Stronger relationship between the coach and client.
• Better for long-term growth.

Disadvantages of the democratic coaching style:

• Coaching sessions run long because the client gets to participate in everything, making this style less appropriate for time-sensitive situations.
• Diverging opinions between the coach and client could lead to conflict.
• Democratic coaching is less effective for beginners.

Related: Democratic leadership: Definition, Characteristics, and Examples

2. Holistic Coaching

As the name suggests, holistic coaching is about finding harmony in all aspects of life. Practitioners of this coaching style believe that everything is connected and that success can only be found when one works on one's spiritual state, mental state, and physical fitness.

The holistic coaching style aims to create well-rounded individuals who can achieve their potential in all aspects of life.

Characteristics of holistic coaching:

• Holistic coaches emphasize the connection between body, mind, and spirit.
• The holistic coaching style focuses on overall well-being instead of chasing performance.
• Holistic coaching professionals encourage clients to self-reflect and develop a clear understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

Advantages of the holistic coaching style:

• By focusing on overall well-being, coaches using this style can help clients become happier and live healthier lives.
• A successful coach using this style can help clients become more resilient to mental setbacks.
• A balanced approach to coaching promotes sustainable performance over time.
• This coaching style helps create better people, delivering benefits beyond immediate career aspirations.

Disadvantages of holistic coaching

• A holistic coach needs deep access to a client's life, which can be unsettling for some clients.
• This coaching process is not performance-oriented and so other coaching styles might be more appropriate for a client's professional life.

In this coaching style, a coach listens to the client and provides clear feedback on what they should do.

3. Autocratic Coaching

Autocratic coaching is a directive style where the coach maintains full control over decision-making and strategy, giving clear instructions and expecting strict adherence from the client. This style emphasizes structure, discipline, and performance, leaving little room for input or collaboration.

Characteristics of autocratic coaching:

• This style often means the coach has complete control over training, strategy, and goal setting.
• Coaches do not consult clients; a coaching session is a top-down instruction session.
• There are strict rules for behavior, effort, and performance expectations.
• Clients are expected to follow instructions precisely.
• The goal of an autocratic coach is to maximize performance. They may have little regard for what happens in the client's personal life.

Advantages of the autocratic coaching style:

• Autocratic coaches give straightforward, concise suggestions that can help minimize confusion.
• The autocratic style is excellent for time-sensitive scenarios where quick decision-making is beneficial.
• An autocratic style of coaching can help build discipline for young professionals.

Disadvantages of autocratic coaching style:

• Personal development through strict-one-sided instructions can result in low morale.
• High expectations and little regard for personal life can lead to burnout.
• An authoritative coach can struggle to adapt to change.
• Clients have limited autonomy and may fail to develop solutions to problems.

Related: What is Autocratic leadership?

4. Vision Coaching

Vision coaches have a unique style that encourages clients to set a vision for the future and work toward it. This intuitive coaching style works well for long-term professional development and is used by many successful life coaches.

Characteristics of vision coaching:

• In this coaching style, coaches work with clients to develop a compelling vision for the future.
• A vision coach assists clients in setting actionable goals that bring the client closer to the vision.
• Vision coaching takes a long-term approach to professional development.

Advantages of vision coaching:

• The vision coaching style can help enhance client motivation.
• Coaches help clients make better decisions by focusing on a long-term goal.
• With a clear vision for the future, this coaching style helps clients eliminate distractions.
• Achieving goals aligned with their future helps clients gain a more profound sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Disadvantages of vision coaching:

• Vision coaching is time-consuming. Clients with busy schedules will struggle to cope with the demands of this coaching style.
• Clients could have trouble translating their vision into action.
• Focussing on a far-away vision could impact short-term performance.

Related: How can a leader create a vision?

5. Laissez-Faire Coaching

Coaches using this coaching style seek a more casual relationship. This coaching style works best for self-motivated clients at a career stage.

Characteristics of the laissez-faire coaching:

• The coach takes a hands-off approach and allows clients to develop their own independently.
• The coaching relationship is designed to cultivate autonomy.
• The coach takes a supportive role and rarely gives direction.
• This coaching style is flexible and can even work with coaching styles.

Advantages of Laissez-faire coaching:

• This coaching style helps clients develop a strong sense of personal responsibility.
• Laissez-faire coaching can empower clients and make them more resilient.
• The laissez-faire coaching style can help clients develop positive psychology as they become high-performance individuals.
• With a low-pressure approach, coaches can cultivate personal growth for their clients by letting them find their way.

Disadvantages of Laissez-faire coaching:

• Some clients might feel lost due to the lack of structure and direction.
• Clients struggling with self-motivation might struggle to thrive under this coaching style.
• Laissez-faire coaching leaves room for misalignment.

6. Mindfulness Coaching

The mindful coaching style integrates cognitive practices such as meditation, deep breathing, and journaling into the coaching process.

These practices aim to make the client more mindful. The coaching style is unique among coaching strategies and types focusing on behaviors, thoughts, and feelings rather than outright performance.

Characteristics of mindfulness coaching:

• Non-judgemental observation from the coach. The coach has to exercise restraint and act less reactively.
• There is a keen focus on breathing and other mindful practices.
• This coaching style promotes compassion and self-acceptance.

Advantages of mindfulness coaching:

• Mindful positive influence on the client leads to better self-awareness.
• Mindfulness coaching can help clients deal with anxiety and stress.
• This coaching style can help individuals become more emotionally intelligent.
• Mindfulness enhances productivity. Unlike other coaching styles, this coaching style helps eliminate mental clutter.

Disadvantages of mindfulness coaching:

• Mindfulness coaching only works if a client commits to a long-term partnership with the coach.
• Mindfulness practices can surface uncomfortable emotions a client may not be ready to confront or process.

7. Bureaucratic Coaching

Bureaucratic coaching is a structured and rule-driven approach where the coach follows established procedures, policies, and protocols to guide client development. This style emphasizes consistency, adherence to guidelines, and maintaining organizational standards. Coaches using this method ensure that clients understand and follow the formal rules. This makes it suitable for critical compliance and risk management environments, such as government agencies or highly regulated industries.

Characteristics of bureaucratic coaching:

• The bureaucratic coaching style is built upon a structured coaching process with well-defined steps, rules, and protocols. Sessions are often recorded in formal documentation and progress is tracked and compared against specific standards or benchmarks.
• Coaching skills are meant to reinforce specific behaviors and outcomes. The process results in compliance and consistency.
• Roles for the client and coach are clearly defined.

Advantages of bureaucratic coaching:

• This coaching style results in consistency.
• Bureaucratic coaching minimizes risk for the client and coach.
• Record-keeping promotes accountability.
• Bureaucratic coaching is efficient and great for large organizations.

Disadvantages of bureaucratic coaching:

• Strict adherence to rules and protocols can stifle creativity.
• A one-size-fits-all approach to coaching leads to rigidity and coaching that cannot be adjusted based on unique circumstances.
• There is a risk of low engagement from the client due to a lack of personalization.
• Documenting everything is time-consuming.

8. Developmental Coaching

The developmental coaching style is designed to help clients boost their self-awareness, emotional regulation, and decision-making skills. It takes a long-term approach to personal growth and development.

Characteristics of developmental coaching:

• The developmental coaching style focuses on personal growth beyond immediate career aspirations and goals.
• Coaches using this style often encourage self-reflection to build self-awareness.
• Clients are encouraged to learn and adapt instead of just fixing problems.

Advantages of developmental coaching:

• By encouraging long-term introspection, developmental coaching helps clients become self-aware. While this is common in other styles, developmental coaching takes it to another level.
• This style is great for career transitions. Those who go through developmental coaching become resilient and will likely face change with confidence. Developmental coaching also encourages life-long learning.

Disadvantages of developmental coaching:

• This coaching style requires time and commitment. Clients looking for solutions to immediate problems might opt for other coaching styles.
• Developmental coaching can be emotionally draining due to its focus on self-introspection.
• The results of developmental coaching may vary and clients may struggle to understand what they are paying for.
• Developmental coaching requires a high level of openness, which may be more than the client is willing to share. Other coaching styles might be more appropriate for privacy-focused clients.

9. Group Coaching

Group coaching is one of the most common. Here, coaches work with multiple individuals simultaneously. Coaching sessions happen in a shared space where clients can interact and share experiences.

With this approach, clients can benefit from the group dynamic.

Characteristics of group coaching:

• Coaches create a collaborative environment where clients can share ideas and experiences and receive feedback.
• Clients often have shared goals, such as developing leadership skills, improving communication, or enhancing teamwork.
• There is peer support within the group. Clients support each other's ambitions and hold each other accountable.

Advantages of group coaching:

• Group coaching is cost-effective when compared to other coaching styles.
• Clients help each other through collaborative learning.
• Group coaching can result in enhanced motivation and accountability.
• Group coaching helps clients improve communication skills and teamwork.
• Clients get exposed to diverse ideas during group sessions.

Disadvantages of group coaching:

• There is limited individual focus and some clients may not feel they get sufficient interaction with the coach.
• Group dynamics such as conflict, dominant personalities, and poor behavior can impact the flow of the sessions.
• Clients can have varying levels of interest or commitment to the sessions.
• Group coaching is not suitable for coaching scenarios that require privacy.
• Coordinating group sessions could result in scheduling problems.

Related: Unlock Your Leadership Potential: The Benefits of Group Coaching

10. Transformational Coaching

Transformational coaching is one of the most powerful coaching styles. It results in deep and long-lasting change. A transformational coach helps clients make fundamental changes to their personality and self-view.

Characteristics of transformational coaching:

• The transformational coaching style focuses on profound change. Coaches seek to transform the client's mindset and behaviors.
• Coaching sessions are deeply personal and coaches will push the client's beliefs and values. Doing this unlocks new ways of thinking and future possibilities for growth.
• Coaches encourage clients to adopt a growth mindset.

Advantages of transformational coaching:

• Transformational coaching results in profound change and personal growth. Clients end up leading more fulfilling lives.
• This coaching method results in improved clarity.
• Transformational coaching can help clients shift their perspective or mindset. Overcoming limiting beliefs could unlock profound personal growth over the long term.

Disadvantages of transformational coaching:

• Transformational coaching sessions are emotionally intense. Clients can become uncomfortable during these sessions.
• Transformational coaching is time-consuming. Progress is gradual and requires significant investment to succeed.
• This coaching style requires openness and vulnerability.
• Transformational coaching can result in unintended changes to one's life and personal emotions.

Related: 8 Examples of Transformational Leaders

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