We all know that coaching is an important part of leadership - but if you haven't coached before, you may struggle because you don't know what coaching "looks like." I'd like to show some examples of good coaching. I have previously talked about Tim Gunn as coach on the show "Project Runway". To see coaching in action, I've selected 3 good samples for you.

Start by visiting the Tim Gunn's Workroom video site. Scroll down the page to see clips from each episode - you may need to click the arrows to see all the clips in each episode.

The 3 designers I think would make for good coaching examples are:

1. Episode 5 - Johnny Sakalis
2. Episode 1 - Ari fish
3. Episode 4 - Qristyl Frazier

I picked these because they demonstrate: open-ended questions, probing questions, confidence, encouragement, recognition, understanding ... while avoiding saying "I'd do this". In the end, the "coachee" makes all the decisions.

In particular, I like Johnny's example, as Tim helps him to see his garment from a fresh perspective.

Of course, successful coaching requires participation on both sides. Watch some of the other clips, and you may see some designers who are disengaged from the coaching process - they don't listen to feedback, and they remain fixed in their opinions. The coach's job is to help the other person to reach their own conclusions or to see things in a new light, but if the "coachee" is unwilling to listen, the coaching session will be a waste of time.