Coaching with Confidence and Care

Working with Energy Shifts in Coaching

In this episode, I’m talking about energy shifts in coaching and what it actually means to work with them in a grounded, non-mystical way. For many coaches, this can feel unclear or even a bit uncomfortable. You might notice something change in the session, but then question yourself: did something really shift, is it relevant, or am I overinterpreting? Let’s bring more precision to this. Energy shifts are not about guessing or intuition in a vague sense. They are part of process information — observable changes in how the client is engaging in the moment. This can show up in pacing, tone, pauses, level of engagement, or emotional activation. I talk about: * What energy shifts actually are and how to recognize them through observable, in-the-moment cues; * Why process information matters just as much as content for coaching outcomes; * How working with shifts supports deeper awareness and emotional processing; * The link between noticing shifts and strengthening the coaching relationship; * What happens when shifts are missed or ignored in a session. I share a few practical principles and also walk through real examples of how subtle changes in a client’s energy can open up deeper, more meaningful work, if you stay with them. If you want to move beyond content-focused coaching and develop more precision in how you work with what is happening in the session itself, this episode will give you a clear and practical way to approach it. In the next episode, we’ll look at a different challenge: working with uncooperative or disengaged clients. Stay tuned.   Enjoy other free materials: Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth): ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/] PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/]

Coaching Effectiveness: Key Factors and Measurement

In this episode, I’m talking about measuring coaching results and how to know if your work is actually effective. If you’re newer, this can be especially tricky. You don’t yet have a long track record, and it’s not always clear what you can confidently say about outcomes. So you hesitate or default to vague language, which does not sound convincing. Let’s look at what actually drives coaching effectiveness. It’s not just what the coach does. It’s a combination of client readiness, coach capability, the quality of the relationship, and the client’s real-life context. I talk about: * What “ready for coaching” really means and how to recognise it during discovery calls; * A range of factors that make a difference to results; * The role of the working alliance (the coaching relationship); * How context (timing, environment, support) can either support or block change; * What levels of results you can observe. And I touch on how to use pre–post comparisons without turning coaching into evaluation, so you can track progress without losing the quality of the relationship. If you want a clearer way to talk about results and to understand what’s really changing for your clients, this episode will give you a practical structure to work with. In the next episode, we’ll talk about “energy shifts” in coaching: what that actually means and how to work with it. Enjoy other free materials: Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders] Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc] PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session] Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth): ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/] PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/]

Working with Metaphors

In this episode, I am talking about working with metaphors in coaching — one of the most powerful ways to deepen awareness in a session. Metaphors show up naturally in how clients speak. We look at how to notice metaphors that actually matter, how to stay with them in a way that supports the client’s thinking, and how to use them to create meaningful shifts without turning the session into something abstract or disconnected from the client’s goal. I talk about: * How to recognize which metaphors are worth exploring * What makes a metaphor “alive” and useful in the moment * How to explore a metaphor through simple, clean questions without leading the client * Ways to deepen the metaphor using sensory detail and embodiment * How to create shifts inside the metaphor and then connect them back to real action * And where coaches may take a less effective path. I also share real question examples that support the metaphor work in different ways. If you’re a coach who wants to work at more depth without adding unnecessary complexity, this episode will give you a practical way to start using metaphors more intentionally and more effectively. In the next episode, we’ll shift the angle a bit and talk about the conditions that actually make coaching effective. I’ll bring in both research and field experience to explore what really drives impact in coaching conversations. If you want to watch an interview with an experienced Clean Language coach and watch a coaching demo that only uses metaphors, we have one on our YouTube Channel. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/V-rf5oZtdcE?si=7JbzWVUw0wB7eons [https://youtu.be/V-rf5oZtdcE?si=7JbzWVUw0wB7eons] Let's connect! Connect with me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luba-diasamidze/) or send an email at info@upthinkcoaching.com Enjoy other free materials: Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders] Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc] PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session] Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth): ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/] PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/]

When and How to Interrupt in Coaching Sessions

In this episode, I talk about interruptions in coaching — a topic that brings up a lot of questions and uncertainty for coaches. Many coaches were taught that good coaching means letting the client speak without interruption. So when a client talks for a long time, goes in circles, or drifts away from the goal of the session, coaches often hesitate. They wonder: Am I allowed to interrupt? Does that mean I’m not listening well enough? Will it damage the relationship? This episode looks at interruptions from the perspective of professional coaching competencies and real coaching practice. Interruption is not automatically a mistake. When it is done with a clear coaching purpose and in service of the client’s process, it can become a useful intervention. In this episode, I talk about: * What core coaching competencies say about interruptions; * What “a clear coaching purpose” for interruption actually means; * How to contract with clients around interruptions so they understand when and why you might step in; * How to navigate the relational side of interruptions, including fears about breaking rapport and why repair is a normal part of a strong coaching relationship; * How to check your own internal motives before stepping in, so the intervention truly serves the client. I briefly walk through the most common questions I hear from coaches about interruptions: ethical concerns, fears about power dynamics, worries about damaging the relationship, and uncertainty about when the timing is right. If you’ve ever wondered whether interrupting a client is appropriate in coaching  and how to do it in a way that supports awareness and forward movement this episode will give you a clearer way to think about it. In the next episode, we’ll talk about metaphors in coaching. When a client says something like “I feel stuck” or “It’s like I’m carrying the whole company on my back,” what do you actually do with that? How do metaphors open insight, and when can they take the conversation off track?   Enjoy other free materials: * Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders * Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc * PCC Marker Demo: podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session * Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth): * ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/] * PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/]

Leader as Coach: Laser Coaching. Effective 15-minute Sessions

In this episode, I am talking about laser coaching sessions: those short, 15–20-minute conversations that can create a shift when done well. Most leaders don’t have an hour per team member every week. And even if they want to coach more, they often don’t know how to make a short conversation meaningful. So they either avoid coaching altogether or they end up giving advice because it feels faster. This episode is about doing it differently. We look at how to make short conversations intentional, focused, and actually developmental (not disguised micromanagement). Not every topic belongs in a 15-minute space. I talk about: * Why shorter sessions require a narrower goal and how to define it * How to contract explicitly so people understand what you’re doing * How to create momentum so the conversation doesn’t just circle around the problem * How to check whether the options feel complete before moving to action * And how ending with reflection helps people build independent problem-solving capacity I will also address the risk of going too deep when you don’t have enough time to integrate what you’ve unpacked. If you’re a leader experimenting with coaching, this episode will give you a simple structure you can try immediately and a way to hold the conversation so it actually moves somewhere. In the next episode, we’ll talk about something many coaches struggle with: talkative clients who go off on tangents and fill the entire space. How do you hold the space for them without shutting them down? How do you interrupt respectfully? Let’s talk about that. Enjoy other free materials: * Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders] * Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc] * PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session [http://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session] Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth): * ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/] * PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/ [https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/]