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The Coach’s Way: The Art and Practice of Powerful Coaching in Any Field
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONAL COACHES AND SELF-COACHES
In this first-of-its-kind book, a revered master coach explains exactly how coaches can conduct meaning-filled sessions — and how clients can best benefit from the coaching they receive. Eric Maisel presents thirteen weeks of short daily lessons where you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of coaching — what to say when, how to ask questions, and crucially, how to manifest the spirit of coaching. Maisel guides you
• understand yourself so that you can better understand others.
• prep for coaching with a deep awareness of your and your clients’ goals and mission.
• ask quality questions, handle defensiveness, and grapple with limited progress.
• cheer and encourage to get action and results.
Supremely practical, each of Maisel’s lessons ends with exercises and a journal prompt. The result is an easy-to-use, field-tested guide for current coaches and coaches in training (as well as managers, mentors, and teachers) and an invaluable resource for anyone working with a coach or thinking about working with one.
In this first-of-its-kind book, a revered master coach explains exactly how coaches can conduct meaning-filled sessions — and how clients can best benefit from the coaching they receive. Eric Maisel presents thirteen weeks of short daily lessons where you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of coaching — what to say when, how to ask questions, and crucially, how to manifest the spirit of coaching. Maisel guides you
• understand yourself so that you can better understand others.
• prep for coaching with a deep awareness of your and your clients’ goals and mission.
• ask quality questions, handle defensiveness, and grapple with limited progress.
• cheer and encourage to get action and results.
Supremely practical, each of Maisel’s lessons ends with exercises and a journal prompt. The result is an easy-to-use, field-tested guide for current coaches and coaches in training (as well as managers, mentors, and teachers) and an invaluable resource for anyone working with a coach or thinking about working with one.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2023
About the author
Eric Maisel
142 books166 followersEric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of more than 40 books in the areas of creativity, coaching, mental health, and cultural trends. He is a psychotherapist and creativity coach, and writes for Psychology Today and Professional Artist Magazine and presents workshops internationally.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 12, 2023
One thing that has always impressed me about Eric Maisel’s books and classes is his plainspoken warmth and kind invitations toward growth, both for clients and coaches. This book strikes me as his most generous offering to date, a pulling back of the curtain to show how a coaching session really works. If you are a coach of any type, you will want to read this book. Written with elegance and simplicity, it is a guide inviting you into deeper relationship with yourself as a coach or self-coach, mirroring the best of the coaching sessions it describes.
When I took creativity coach training with him, I loved that Dr. Maisel described the coaching relationship as “trying to be of a little help.” He reiterates that here: coaches are not here to fix or to be the experts, but to be a supportive presence that strategically assists a client in working toward his or her dreams. I appreciate that each chapter concludes with exercises ranging from “Easy” to “High Bar,” along with food for thought for informal coaches and self-coaches.
I also appreciate that the first few sections address the coach or prospective coach personally, without a client in view. Are you actually willing to coach another human being? Are you willing to be of help? What are your thoughts about meaning, possibility, and effort? All of these questions and more are explored, and designed to help you get clear on your beliefs and assumptions before you even enter the coaching session.
From there, we move into the first coaching sessions: how they work, questions to ask, and so forth. Later, there are tips on dropping in exercises or teaching moments and—probably my favorite—a series of chapters on working effortlessly. As someone who has often joked that I can take anything fun and turn it into work, this was definitely written for me!
Full of tips, wisdom, and encouragement, this book is one I will return to again and again when I want to remember what coaching is all about, which is fundamentally the deep satisfaction of having real conversations about things that matter.
When I took creativity coach training with him, I loved that Dr. Maisel described the coaching relationship as “trying to be of a little help.” He reiterates that here: coaches are not here to fix or to be the experts, but to be a supportive presence that strategically assists a client in working toward his or her dreams. I appreciate that each chapter concludes with exercises ranging from “Easy” to “High Bar,” along with food for thought for informal coaches and self-coaches.
I also appreciate that the first few sections address the coach or prospective coach personally, without a client in view. Are you actually willing to coach another human being? Are you willing to be of help? What are your thoughts about meaning, possibility, and effort? All of these questions and more are explored, and designed to help you get clear on your beliefs and assumptions before you even enter the coaching session.
From there, we move into the first coaching sessions: how they work, questions to ask, and so forth. Later, there are tips on dropping in exercises or teaching moments and—probably my favorite—a series of chapters on working effortlessly. As someone who has often joked that I can take anything fun and turn it into work, this was definitely written for me!
Full of tips, wisdom, and encouragement, this book is one I will return to again and again when I want to remember what coaching is all about, which is fundamentally the deep satisfaction of having real conversations about things that matter.
June 10, 2023
Prolific author Eric Maisel offers sound advice and food for thought through "The Coach’s Way," a dynamic guide designed for business and personal coaches of various experience levels. The work of coaching others to realize their goals and improve performance requires disciplined strategies for introspection and self-reflection. With self-awareness as the grounding lesson in becoming a better coach, the book offers helpful tips for folks considering coaching as a profession and a refresher for those who want to enhance their craft. He shares examples from the business world, but his primary audience is people seeking to maximize their creative pursuits.
People work with coaches because they want to improve an aspect of their life. Coaches help others to navigate challenges and cultivate novel approaches to solving problematic patterns of behavior. I serve as a leadership coach for organizations looking to enhance diversity and inclusion efforts. I found the book a helpful guide in seeing how I may enhance my interactions with clients. I appreciated Maisel’s emphasis on helping others as the foundational purpose of coaching. There are important lessons on how to encourage and hold people accountable to sustain the practice of newly adapted skills. The learnings also are relevant for people managers who help improve the performance of work teams.
People work with coaches because they want to improve an aspect of their life. Coaches help others to navigate challenges and cultivate novel approaches to solving problematic patterns of behavior. I serve as a leadership coach for organizations looking to enhance diversity and inclusion efforts. I found the book a helpful guide in seeing how I may enhance my interactions with clients. I appreciated Maisel’s emphasis on helping others as the foundational purpose of coaching. There are important lessons on how to encourage and hold people accountable to sustain the practice of newly adapted skills. The learnings also are relevant for people managers who help improve the performance of work teams.
December 9, 2025
Very convincing and calm book with lots of practical tips that are essential when you start out as a coach or even already while you’re considering whether to take up this profession and vocation.
And even somewhat experienced coaches can find meaning here and going back to basics always yields new insights on what you thought you knew.
And even somewhat experienced coaches can find meaning here and going back to basics always yields new insights on what you thought you knew.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews