You will find that when engaged in a coaching conversation that sometimes there may be a need to introduce another role other than the "purist coach" (only asking questions to facilitate the coachee's own thinking and performance). It's also important to note that sometimes the coachee is viewing you, appropriately or not, as a role different than "coach" and it's important to be able to recognise when this is happening.

This five-part series addresses these different roles:

• Coach / Authority
• Coach / Consultant
• Coach / Mentor
• Coach / Trainer
• Coach / Counsellor

This is the fourth part of this series and the focus is Coach / Trainer.

When YOU choose this role:

• When you identify there may be a need to raise the coachee's awareness about certain models, tools, resources, etc. Examples could include "teaching" them how to write a smart goal, how to project plan the achievement of an objective, showing them how a tool like "the wheel of life" could work, demonstrating any other "self-coaching" tool or model.

Benefits / Pros

• Where it is in the best interests of the coachee AND you have the appropriate background, competence and confidence to do so, it can greatly support the learning and growth experience for the coachee to teach them various tools, techniques, models, etc so that they are more independent and can use these strategies for themselves as "life skills".

Risks / Cons

• You have to clarify with the coachee prior to any "training" about what knowledge, skills and behaviours they have, want to have and how they can pick them up. It would not be appropriate to jump in to "training" mode when it might be better for the coachee to find ways of teaching themselves.
• You have to ensure that when you are doing "training" that you also do "assessment" to measure if the knowledge is being transferred and applied appropriately. This is an opportunity to switch back into "coach" role. For example you could ask, "So, now that we've looked at how this tool works, what ideas do you have about where and how you could use it to achieve your objectives?"

When the COACHEE identifies you in this role:

• When they want / need you to be telling them what to do, when and how to do it.

Benefits / Pros

• You can set an agreement with the coachee that from time to time you might like to share tools and resources with them and that it could benefit them if you teach these "life skills" and then get the coachee to demonstrate how they would use them on their own.

Risks / Cons

• The coachee might not be confident immediately with the new skills and may try to get you to solve the problem for them instead of them trying to apply the new skills. You need to be paying attention to the balance of confidence and effort on the coachee's part and not fall into the trap of doing the process for them if they're slow to grasp the model.
• You have to ensure that you understand the preferred and/or more effective learning styles of the coachee and customise the "training" component of what you're doing to match. This requires that you ask the coachee about their learning styles before you embark on any training activities. This is also important for general coaching even when there are no training activities involved.

The next issue of "Coach the Coach" will continue this series on understanding the five different roles a coach can perform in addition to being the "purist" coach. Next time: Coach / Counsellor.

If there are any topics you'd like me to cover in this column, please feel invited to email me directly with your requests through my website (see link in bio).

Noel Posus is a master coach with 20+ years experience as a professional educator, coach and author. He won the prestigious inaugural "Coach of the Year" award (2008/2009), Finalist in the Coaching Business of the Year (2010) and is an ambassador/leader for the coaching industry. www.noelposus.com