Effective coaching is not so much what you say but what you ask. Asking your players powerful questions is much more productive than telling them what to do. True 
coaching is about developing a strong relationship with your players for the purpose of THEIR growth and development. It’s about helping your players fulfill their goals and commitments. Applying effective communication skills in coaching helps you to develop a strong relationship with your players.
One of a crucial coaching skill is having open coaching conversations with your athletes. Coaching conversations are side-by-side interactions where both of you are looking at where the athlete is headed and discussing what is the next step they need to take to get them there. Your job is to conduct dialogues of inquiry with your players where ultimately they discover the next action to take.
As a coach, you set the context for these dialogues. Setting the stage for effective coaching conversations begins during the recruiting phase and is reinforced every time you address your team. Your players need to know clearly who you are and what you are trying to accomplish in your program. Players need to know from the outset of their relationship with you that their goals and dreams are in alignment with yours. Effective coaching dialogs help to facilitate strong team communication and it creates an open atmosphere in the team.
Once a “good fit” is established, then the dialogues of inquiry can take place. To coach anyone effectively, you need to know what they are committed to in their life. Once you know what they are up to, it’s time to ask questions that will reveal the proper path to getting them where they want to go!
Subscribe in a reader OR 
