Coaching for learning and development

Whatever the context, people learn most effectively when they are keen to learn and have a clear focus on where and what they want to develop. Thus, it is most helpful that when in a coaching programme you make an initial reflection on your current concerns and challenges, what you would like to address and discuss and what you hope to take away with you at the end of the process.  

Effective coaching often addresses long term issues and challenges rather than simply dealing with the a specific event and a coaching session is not as a standard business meeting; it is the talking and reflection around the core issue that facilitates the discovery of "what the issue really is", leading to moments of relevant insight something not so simple to attain when using a narrowed focus or fixed itens for agenda.

The "focused but flexible" approach is usually of added value both client and coach since it draws for an agreement about actions or ideas to be tried out, upporting the client to put in action what ever that as come out of the reflection and of the feelings from the experience. This also means that there is a reasonable hard work in the coaching sessions as well as in between sessions, both on  reflection and practice levels.  

No client should expect the coach to provide the content of discussion or expect that the coach to ‘tell’ the answers; it is the discovery provoked by the process that allows learning and development for the client, reason why sometimes coaching is not always completely confortable - but will for sure be supportive, enabling and of added value.
At the end, people sometimes come out surprised - sometimes perhaps a little disconcerted - due to what after seems to be "obvious" but all of that is due to what has been unlocked along the process, the sum of the many challenges the client as faced and surpass with full engagement with the coach.
This is often called the release of potential.