The coach: challenger or cheerleader?

One of the questions that comes up a lot for new coaches (and I expect to a degree, potential clients who wonder what coaching is like) is around whether coaching is about challenging or cheerleading. A good coach will do both, but the real skill is in knowing how much of each is required, for who and when.

I'm a big football fan and think it's a great example of where the power of understanding individuals can bring about impressive results. Of course, tactics on the field are important but the most effective managers in the modern game are the ones who also know what their players respond to: do they need the need an Alex Ferguson hairdryer or a Jurgen Klopp arm around the shoulder? 

Paying someone to 'challenge' you may not immediately sound appealing but that's where the real results will come. Asking questions that challenge you to think more deeply or differently about something can help to reframe it and ultimately, help you move forward.  Yes, we all need a pep talk once in a while to give us a boost but as the old saying goes, if you put the same in, you usually get the same out.