Many people talk about the idea of “executive coaching.” After five years of this work, we have crafted an approach that we think works particularly well for school leaders. Essentially, we use a hybrid model. At one level, we use the essence of good coaching practices: We ask questions rather than give answers; we ask at the beginning of each meeting what the school leader wants to discuss; we listen carefully; we use questions to help the head explore issues and get to the place where she or he wants to land. But there is a second level as well, for we bring a level of experience and expertise that can sometimes be invaluable. After all, there are times when a new head might want to hear ideas from a veteran head about ways to approach a particular challenge. We don’t proselytize, but we sometimes make suggestions or at least suggest alternative pathways – or at least ask more questions.
My wife and I once worked on a construction project with a terrific local builder up in rural Maine. We had plenty of ideas, and he accepted many of them in good humor. But sometimes he would respond, “Welllll, you could do it that way…”. And we knew our idea might not be so great. So do we sometimes guide as coaches. But at the end of the day, our role is to support a school head, and we believe our hybrid model provides a good way to do just that.