When you are coaching a person who approached you with a problem, don’t look at the problem… or even attempt into solving that particular problem! 
Instead, look at and into the person … and ask probing questions, be intellectually curious about his/her situation vis-a-vis the problem… have a conversation… discover together as to why the person — who is closest to the problem and the situation — cannot solve that particular problem. As a coach, you don’t want to provide a solution… instead, you guide the person to the solution with powerful, probing and open-ended questions … until you get to a point wherein the person discovers 
the solution himself/herself… with the joy of discovery and enlightenment! Note that it is possible that the problem that was brought in earlier might not even be the real /true problem… it might be something else! He/she then makes a plan towards the solution.
With this coaching approach, the person discovers the real problem … crafts a plan/solution… as a result, feels a sense of ownership of the plan/solution… which makes it more meaningful, purposeful… and personal: he/she owns it / has skin in the game … and therefore wants it to be successfully implemented / carried out.
To be continued …
