Show Notes
Have you ever paused to consider where you truly are in your growth as a coach and what your current stage of development reveals about the way you show up for your clients? In this episode, we walk through the evolving arc of our professional identity and the way our presence deepens as we move from doing coaching to being a coach. It is a journey rich with curiosity, discomfort, insight, and ultimately, transformation. During the conversation, we unpack the three broad stages of coach maturity. We explore the ways we develop from novice coach to intuitive practitioner and eventually to a place where we work with the wider system that sits around each client. As we revisit these stages, we were reminded of the moments in our own journeys when we grappled with self-doubt, longed for structure, and later found liberation in silence, emergence, and reflective practice. We discuss what this pathway can look like in real life. Early on, the focus often sits on learning models like GROW or CLEAR, trying to get coaching "right", and wondering whether you are offering enough value. As maturity builds, the focus shifts toward deep relational awareness. Questions such as how we are being together begin to matter more than the specific tools we use. There is more acknowledgment of intuition, pattern spotting, boundaries, ethics, and the energy in the space between coach and client. As the journey progresses, the coaching relationship becomes a gateway into something broader. We delve into the systemic nature of coaching and what happens when we are able to sit in not knowing without fear. This phase is rich, existential, and deeply grounding. It calls for humility, self-awareness, regulated presence, and the ability to hold space for emergence. We reflect on how this stage can be both liberating and challenging. At times we have found it confronting, and at others we have found it to be the most expansive area of professional growth. Throughout this episode, the recurring theme for me is that coaching maturity is not time served. It is about what we integrate, how we reflect, and the courage we bring to our own development. Every phase offers value. Every phase has its purpose. And every coach will move through the continuum in their own way. Our hope is that this conversation sparks meaningful self-reflection and gives you a clearer sense of where you are today and where your next stretch might be.
Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and introduction to coaching maturity 01:20 Why the competency frameworks can feel confusing 02:17 From doing coaching to being a coach 03:35 The ongoing evolution of a coach 05:01 Coach maturity as continual development rather than destination 06:29 Stage one indicators and early coaching experiences 08:25 Navigating self doubt and value questions 09:50 Transitioning into a more relational coaching style 11:20 Deep listening, intuition and pattern spotting 12:45 Creativity and presence in coaching 14:11 How the coaching space mirrors client experiences 16:08 Sitting with not knowing and supporting emergence 18:05 Humility and letting go of ego 19:34 How supervision supports growth 20:31 Using coaching maturity reflections as a development catalyst 21:30 Why different clients need different levels of maturity 22:55 Maturity is not time served 24:18 Understanding learning edges 25:44 Encouragement for self-reflection and next steps 26:08 Coaching training quiz and CPD options
Key Lessons Learned: Coaching maturity evolves from doing coaching to embodying the role of coach in a grounded, relational way Early stages often include self-doubt, reliance on tools, and a desire to get things right Growth involves increased trust in intuition, deeper presence, and comfortable use of silence Systemic awareness becomes central as maturity develops Reflective practice and supervision accelerate progression Not knowing can be a powerful portal for insight and emergence Maturity is not about ye
More from The Coaching Crowd® Podcast with Jo Wheatley & Zoe Hawkins
What could change in a coaching conversation if we asked a different opening question? We often fall into familiar habits when a coaching session begins. In this episode, we explore how the first question can shape a client's focus, the direction of the conversation and how present they feel. We share a range of coaching questions designed to help clients notice what matters to them, rather than relying on the same opener every time. Some questions help a client sort through competing priorities. Others invite them to notice what feels most alive, what they might need to leave outside the room, or where they could make progress. We also explore questions that make room for uncertainty, unresolved issues and the parts of a person that may not yet have had a voice. As we discuss each one, we reflect on how a question might land differently depending on the client and what they bring to the session. We found ourselves returning to the importance of curiosity, choice and partnership. Questions about courage and possibility can open up new ways of thinking, while asking what the coach should be mindful of can strengthen the coaching alliance. We also discuss the power of a small word like "yet" to ease pressure and invite a sense of possibility. These questions are invitations, not a checklist. We talk about using them thoughtfully, in the context of the client's goals and the work already underway. Our hope is that coaches and people developing coaching skills will find a question that helps them listen differently, create space for reflection and support meaningful progress. Timestamps: 00:00 Why coaching openers matter 01:47 Sorting through competing priorities 03:22 Asking what feels most alive 05:15 Making space to be present 06:48 Inviting courage into the conversation 08:29 Focusing on progress 09:43 Making room for the unresolved 11:22 What someone has been trying to resolve alone 12:10 Giving a part of the client a voice 14:10 Exploring what has not yet been discussed 15:04 The possibility in the word "yet" 15:30 What the client wants the coach to be mindful of 19:38 Asking what is possible today 20:31 Exploring an avoided conversation 22:51 Choosing questions with care 23:56 Coaching course information Key Lessons Learned: The opening question can influence the focus and tone of a coaching session. A question about energy or what feels alive may reveal more than asking only about the most urgent problem. Clients can choose what to bring into a session and what to leave outside. Questions about courage, uncertainty and possibility can create space for deeper reflection. Asking what the client wants from their coach can strengthen partnership and the coaching alliance. A question is an invitation, not a tool to apply automatically. Its value depends on the client and the context. The word "yet" can reduce pressure and help a client see that change remains possible. Keywords: Coaching questions, types of coaching questions, powerful coaching questions, coaching conversation, coaching session, coaching skills, coaching clients, coaching alliance, coaching practice, coach training, Links & Resources mycoachingcourse.com, mentioned as a place to take a quiz and explore coaching courses.
Have you ever felt your mind go blank in a coaching session and wondered what you are supposed to do next? We explore the moments coaches can experience as panic: a client arrives with an unexpected goal, shares something difficult, asks what we would do, or sits in silence while we search for the perfect question. We reflect on how these moments can show up as anxiety, uncertainty, shock or feeling lost, for new and experienced coaches alike. We discuss how panic can be information rather than a problem to eliminate. When we rush to fill silence, reach for a model, give advice or steer the conversation towards a solution, we may be trying to manage our own discomfort instead of staying alongside the client. We consider how to recognise whose panic might be present, notice what is happening in the body and mind, and question the expectations we place on ourselves. Coaching does not require us to have an instant answer, and the client remains responsible for their own progress. We share practical ways to work with a blank mind or a stalled conversation, including asking what feels important, what the client is noticing, or what might happen if we did not try to solve the issue yet. We also explore how coaching supervision and reflective practice can help us understand recurring patterns beneath our panic. The conversation returns to a central idea: the coach's presence, curiosity and capacity to sit with uncertainty can be more valuable than having another tool to use. Timestamps: 00:00 Introducing panic in coaching 02:47 Treating panic as information 04:52 Whose panic is in the room? 06:57 When interventions ease the coach's discomfort 09:25 Expectations and the fear of not knowing 12:00 Questions to use when a session feels stuck 15:33 Moving beyond problem solving 18:24 Exploring recurring panic in supervision 22:02 Building self-understanding as a coach 23:57 Pausing, grounding and returning to the relationship 25:36 Emotions coaching practitioner training Key Lessons Learned: Panic can offer useful information about the coach, the client or the wider context. Before intervening, ask whose discomfort the intervention is trying to resolve. A moment of silence or uncertainty does not mean the session has failed. The client is responsible for their progress; the coach does not need to solve the goal for them. Simple questions can reopen exploration when a coach feels stuck. Supervision can help uncover the beliefs and patterns behind recurring coaching anxiety. Self-awareness helps coaches notice activation and return to curiosity and connection. Keywords: Coaching panic, coaching anxiety, emotions coaching, coaching supervision, reflective practice for coaches, coaching skills, client autonomy, managing uncertainty in coaching.
When does a coaching model help us stay present with a client, and when does it start to get in the way? In this episode, we explore the relationship between coaching models, confidence and the conversations our clients need. Drawing on our experiences as coaches and coach educators, we discuss why coaching frameworks can be so reassuring when we are starting out. Clients rarely arrive with a neatly packaged goal. Their thoughts, emotions and competing priorities can take us in several directions, and models such as GROW, CLEAR and OSCAR can help us find a useful focus. We reflect on the importance of understanding why we ask a question, rather than concentrating only on which question comes next. We also share how structure continues to support our coaching practice as we gain experience. A framework held in the background can help us notice a missing goal, an unexplored emotion or a conversation that has lost its direction. Sometimes, explaining a structured activity and asking whether it would be helpful gives the client a clearer sense of what we are offering. We reflect on how this transparency can build trust and reduce cognitive load for both people. Referring to notes can be part of thoughtful, effective coaching, and we do not need to perform expertise by pretending that support is unnecessary. The tension emerges when completing the model becomes more important than responding to the person. We explore what happens when a client discovers something significant, such as recognising that their career has been shaped by a desire to please a parent. Moving immediately to options or actions could miss their need to pause and understand that discovery. This brings us back to the wider coaching skills that make a difference: listening, silence, intuition, ethics, safeguarding and contracting. For us, coaching mastery involves developing the judgement to stay with a structure, adapt it or step away, according to the client and the moment. We finish by reflecting on how coach development moves from learning models to choosing, adapting and integrating their principles into our own coaching style. Our IKEA furniture metaphor reminds us that skipping the learning process is not the same as mastering it. We also explore why models are never neutral: every framework directs attention towards particular aspects of a client's experience. Whether we are using emotions coaching tools or another approach, we hold responsibility for what we introduce. This conversation invites us to become more deliberate about how we use structure, while remaining curious and responsive to the person in front of us. Timestamps: · 00:00 Welcome and the coaching models question · 01:14 Why frameworks help new coaches · 02:57 GROW, CLEAR and OSCAR · 04:31 Using models to refocus a conversation · 05:29 Offering structured activities to clients · 06:50 Transparency, trust and cognitive load · 07:45 Learning and integrating a model · 09:50 Helpful structure and knowing when to step away · 11:18 Responding to significant discoveries · 13:19 Coaching skills beyond models · 14:31 The journey towards coaching mastery · 15:58 The IKEA furniture metaphor · 18:03 Why coaching models are not neutral · 19:44 Exploring further coach training Key Lessons Learned: · Understand the purpose behind the question. A model becomes more useful when we understand what its questions invite the client to explore. · Structure can serve the client as well as the coach. Explaining an activity and checking whether it would help can create clarity, trust and a sense of direction. · Using notes does not undermine credibility. How we introduce a framework matters more than whether we remember every step. · A discovery may need space before action. The next question in a model may be less useful than pausing with what the client has recognised. · Models are one part of effective coaching. Listening, silence, intuition, ethics, safeguarding and contracting all sh
What if finding your purpose is less about discovering one perfect career and more about understanding what makes you feel alive? People often come to coaching at a crossroads. From the outside, life may look successful: a career is progressing, responsibilities are being met, and there is no obvious reason to change course. Yet there can be a persistent feeling that something is missing. In this episode, we explore why that feeling deserves attention and how coaching can help us make sense of it. Our own experiences gave us two ways to look at purpose. For Jo, coaching became deeply connected to the contribution she wanted to make. For Zoe, coaching is an expression of a broader purpose: being part of a journey that helps someone feel more fulfilled. That distinction matters. If purpose can take more than one form, we do not have to put pressure on ourselves to find the single job that will make everything fall into place. We talk about the clues that can help when the answer is unclear. When do we feel most like ourselves? What kind of contribution matters to us? Who do we most enjoy working with, and where in their journey do we want to help? Zoe reflects on exploring other people-focused careers before finding that coaching offered the kind of conversations and relationships she was looking for. We also reflect on how our needs change through different stages of life. Work that once felt fulfilling may no longer fit around family, freedom or the person we are becoming. That does not make the years we spent doing it a mistake. Those experiences can help us recognise our strengths, values and priorities more clearly. For some people, coach training leads to a new career. For others, it changes how they lead, volunteer, parent or relate to the people around them. Finding meaningful work does not mean finding work that is always easy. Building our coaching business brought uncertainty alongside the conversations and contribution we loved. Perhaps a more useful question than "What would make me happy all the time?" is "What matters enough to me that I am willing to work through the difficult parts?" If you are considering a career change, exploring coach training or wondering what purpose means for you, we hope this conversation gives you space to notice what already matters. You may find that coaching is your next step, or that it helps you see another path more clearly. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and finding your purpose through coaching 00:37 Why career crossroads raise questions about purpose 02:24 When success on paper does not feel meaningful 04:53 Coaching as an expression of purpose 07:30 The many ways we can make a difference 08:50 Finding the people and work that fit 10:32 Meaning, independence and building something of your own 12:07 How purpose takes different forms through life 16:09 Why coach training does not require a career change 18:32 Training as a bridge to different possibilities 20:51 Why purposeful work can still be difficult 23:09 Exploring your own next chapter Key Lessons Learned: Purpose does not have to point to one perfect job. It can be expressed through different kinds of work and relationships. A career crossroads can be a sign that your needs and priorities have evolved. The work that makes you feel most alive offers clues about the contribution you want to make. Understanding who you want to help can be as useful as deciding how you want to help. Coach training can support self-discovery even if you do not plan to become an independent coach. Skills learned through coaching can shape leadership, volunteering, parenting and everyday conversations. Meaningful work may involve risk, uncertainty and discomfort. Those challenges do not make it less meaningful. Keywords: Finding your purpose, purpose through coaching, coach training, career change, meaningful work, career crossroads, becoming a coach, coaching skills, personal fulfilment,
Who supports the coach when a client conversation stays with them long after the session has ended? In this episode, we explore why every coach needs supervision and why it is far more than a professional requirement. Every coaching conversation brings together different histories, identities, beliefs and emotional experiences. As coaches, we carry our own stories into the room too. Supervision gives us a confidential reflective space to explore what may be influencing our work, particularly when a client interaction leaves us feeling stuck, uncertain or unable to stop thinking about the conversation. We also reflect on the isolation that can exist within coaching. Confidentiality means that few people witness our client conversations, making it easy to carry questions or concerns alone. Coaching supervision provides a professional support structure where we can think clearly, protect our wellbeing and continue to serve our clients effectively. It helps us recognise patterns, explore blind spots and close some of the mental tabs that might otherwise remain open. At the heart of the episode are the three purposes of supervision: normative, formative and restorative. Normative supervision supports safe and ethical practice, helping us navigate complex situations without expecting someone else to make the decision for us. Formative supervision develops our confidence, flexibility and reflective practice beyond our initial training. Restorative supervision helps us process the emotional demands of coaching, separate our experiences from those of our clients and resist the urge to rescue, fix or take responsibility for their outcomes. Ultimately, supervision helps us become less reactive, more patient and more comfortable with uncertainty. It can strengthen our ethical awareness, deepen our reflective practice and give us greater courage to challenge, experiment and trust the coaching process. Supervision is not surveillance or a judgement on our capability. It is an essential professional space that supports the wellbeing of the coach, protects the quality of the work and helps us become the thoughtful, ethical and responsive coaches our clients deserve. Timestamps: 00:01 Welcome and why every coach needs supervision 00:58 Professional expectations and accreditation 01:44 Blind spots, emotional reactions and open mental tabs 03:55 Helping fatigue and coach wellbeing 05:18 The three purposes of coaching supervision 05:35 Normative supervision and ethical practice 07:08 When an ethical dilemma becomes high stakes 09:30 Formative supervision and coach development 11:15 Why better-supported coaches serve clients better 12:45 Reflective practice as a core coaching skill 13:31 Restorative supervision and emotional demands 14:59 Responsibility, rescuing and the urge to fix 16:53 How supervision changes coaching practice 19:41 Supervision is not surveillance 20:10 Invitation to supervision training