The Coaching Manual

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Invaluable - Rated
I was recommended this book 5 years ago on my coach training course and it was invaluable in preparing to become a coach. Since then I have read many other manuals but this still stands out as one of the best. Its practical outline of the coaching process, the useful examples and case studies, combined with easy to read guidelines, make this in my to[p ten of coaaching reference books.

The Coaching Manual - Rated
This is an outstanding book! It gives hands-on advice on how to establish a coaching relationship. One easily comprehensible lecture follows the other.
I can recommend it to everyone who is interested in working in this field!

You can't learn experience from a book ... even a good book. - Rated
An intelligently laid out and accessible manual, designed to review and highlight the sorts of skills a professional coach should be able to display to do his/her job effectively. When it comes to an analysis of practical skills - such as establishing the context for coaching by using comfortable, conducive space, defining expectations, setting the ground rules for contact, etc. - Julie Starr offers excellent, coherent advice.

The weakness of this manual - and any such manual - is in the areas of philosophy and skills training. In the former case, coaching (or, indeed, therapy or counselling) must begin from a position of respect for the individual. More particularly in coaching, the objective is to help the client (or "coachee"), achieve change, achieve goals by internalising the objective and finding their own way there ... rather than being obviously directed by the coach. Teaching people respect for the individual, teaching them objectivity, teaching them that level of empathetic detachment, etc., is not easy, and I have my doubts it can be accomplished simply by using a manual.

Similarly, there are very real skills which come from experience and critical awareness of your own practice. You can tell people how to listen, how to ask open-ended questions, how to feedback objectively, but these skills (and many others) need to be practised and learned through interaction in the field. At very least, you need to role play the skills.

Starr's manual is excellent when it comes to the practicalities and the applied psychology of the professional relationship, but other aspects are decidedly weak. This is most obvious in her chapter on the fundamental skills of coaching: she identifies five core skills - building rapport or relationship, understanding the different levels of listening, using intuition, asking questions, and giving supportive feedback.

Now, I've worked in social work and research for a quarter of a century: I use the five skills identified above ... and I'd recognise their validity in any form of motivational interviewing or coaching. But I'll stake my pension on the fact that you can't learn intuition from a manual.

Julie Starr's "The Coaching Manual" is an excellent book, and good value. She communicates well, her writing is intelligent, accessible, and she makes some excellent points. However, to get the best from this book you should consider working with other would-be coaches or others interested in the subject - maybe role playing some of the themes to give yourself a chance to evaluate your attitudes and communication skills. Experience is an essential skill, one which is acquired, not learned. What the manual can't give you is a critical feedback on your own performance and the adequacy of your own experience and current range of skills. If you are going to be a good coach, a really good one, and not just delude yourself that you know what you're doing, you will need to supplement this manual with a deal of practical experience ... and some objective self-criticism.

Not the definitive - Rated
This book is not the definitive guide to the process, principles andskills of personal coaching. It is however, fairly comprehensive and agood reference guide for coaching. It is easy to follow and has goodmodels and I particularly liked the approach to listening skills.
There are many other comprehensive books on coaching and to heraldthis book as the definitive guide is an overstatement.

Refreshing, challenging, Must have for any Coach - Rated
Well what a fantastic book!!!!!, whether you have been coaching for 20 years or 20 months The Coaching Manual is THE Coaching Bible - for new and existing Coaches.
It offers simple, logical advice, tips, checklists and activities to challenge a Coach to look at how they can develop their coaching skills further. I am a Trainer and Coach and have been for the last 5 or so years, this book will not leave my side, I even take it into Coaching 1:1's to use as a reference guide.

A MUST have for any Coach out there, refreshing to know the way I coach, and will continue to coach is the right way, productive and effective - have recommended to all of my senior Mgt: team at my current employer to read in preparation for delivering Coaching.

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