Permission coaching is a method of coaching where the potential coachee willingly and knowledgeably agree to receive coaching from a coach and signs up for the process themselves.
Permission coaching is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant coaching to people who actually want coaching.
Before you — yes you, coach — provide some coaching, ask first for permission to provide such coaching; unsolicited coaching is a turn off or even worse, the person will stop listening to you because they feel threatened or do not feel safe.
Example phrases on permission coaching:
“I’d like to discuss some more about this matter. Would this be OK with you? Do I have your permission?”
“Is this a good time to talk and explore your thinking?”
“I get the sense you have more to say about this. Could I probe a little further?
“Can we spend a few minutes brainstorming ideas around this?”
“I’d like to understand more about your thinking. Would you be OK with talking more about this?”
“Is it OK if I ask you to share your thoughts with me?”
“I’d like to have a more open conversation than we’ve had before. Would it be OK to ask you some more specific questions right now?”
Permission coaching interacts with people according to their permission intensity—that is, the degree to which a person allows solicitation of or provision of information by the coach. Permission intensity varies between people at different times. Permission coaching tends to be highest when a person is actively looking for a solution.
