1.
A strength-based approach means looking at a person's abilities, achievements, experience and potential, rather than concentrating only on their difficulties.
For example, a coach might say:
"You've shown remarkable perseverance."
"You've made progress since our last session."
"You recognised a problem and started looking for solutions."
"You have experience that could help you with this goal."
"You've identified what support would make things easier."
Why does this matter?
Recognising strengths can help clients:
Develop confidence and a positive self-image.
Recognise abilities they may overlook.
Understand how previous experiences can help them.
Feel encouraged to keep working towards their goals.
Become more aware of their own achievements.
However, praise should be genuine. A coach should not exaggerate someone's abilities or make them feel they must always be positive.
An important distinction
Strength-based coaching does not mean ignoring difficulties.
For example, someone might be very good at their job but struggle with time management, communication or organisation.
A coach can recognise their strengths while exploring what support or adjustments might help with the difficulties.
Strengths and support needs can exist together.
2. Adjusting for abilities
This means adapting coaching methods, materials and activities to make participation fair and accessible.
Not everybody communicates, learns, processes information or completes tasks in the same way.
Examples include:
Possible barrier | Possible adjustment |
|---|---|
Dyslexia | Large print, clear layouts and coloured backgrounds if preferred |
Learning disability | Easy Read information and straightforward explanations |
Difficulty processing information | More time to think and respond |
Hearing impairment | Written information, captions or suitable communication support |
Physical disability | Accessible rooms, equipment or online sessions |
Anxiety | A quieter environment, breaks or a choice of meeting format |
Difficulty concentrating | Shorter sessions and manageable activities |
The important thing is to ask the client what works for them, rather than assume what they need.
This also links to the social model of disability.
Sometimes the problem is not simply an individual's impairment. It is the barrier created by an inaccessible environment, service, communication method or system.
Equal treatment and equitable participation
Giving everyone exactly the same materials and time does not always create equal opportunities.
For example:
Client A can complete a written questionnaire independently.
Client B understands the questions better when they are explained verbally.
Both clients can still work towards the same standard of goal-setting.
The adjustment changes the way the client accesses the coaching, not the value of their contribution.
3. Cultural integration
This means recognising and respecting the client's cultural background, heritage, beliefs and identity.
Culture can influence:
Family relationships and responsibilities.
Communication styles.
Religious or spiritual beliefs.
Personal values and traditions.
Attitudes towards education, employment and independence.
Expectations about asking for help.
For example, a client may have strong family commitments that influence their career goals. A coach should explore how these commitments fit with what the client wants.
A coach should not assume that everyone from the same cultural background has identical beliefs or preferences.
The client should decide which aspects of their identity and heritage they want to include in coaching.
Respecting someone's culture does not mean stereotyping them.
Connecting the three ideas
The three approaches work together:
Approach | Main question |
|---|---|
Strength-based observations | What can this person already do? |
Adjusting for abilities | What would help this person participate? |
Cultural integration | What aspects of this person's identity and background matter to them? |
Together, they help create coaching that recognises the whole person.
A practical coaching example
Imagine a client wants to return to education.
They have previous experience, but they lack confidence. They also find complicated written information difficult to understand.
A coach could:
Recognise strengths: Explore previous achievements, interests and skills.
Encourage growth: Ask what the client would like to learn next.
Make adjustments: Provide accessible course information and allow extra processing time.
Respect identity: Explore any family, cultural or personal commitments that influence their decision.
Support choice: Help the client compare options and decide what they want to do.
The coach should not decide that education is unsuitable because the client has a disability.
Equally, the coach should not pressure the client to return to education if that is not what they want.
Connecting this with mentoring and advocacy
There is an interesting difference between recognising someone's strengths and deciding what their strengths should be.
In mentoring, a mentor might share their own experience to encourage someone.
In coaching, the coach generally uses questions to help the client recognise their own strengths and decide how to use them.
In advocacy, the focus may be on ensuring that the person's abilities, wishes and rights are recognised by other people or organisations.
All three approaches can help challenge low expectations.
A person may have more skills than a professional initially recognises. A disability or mental health condition should not automatically determine someone's potential.
Knowledge check
Try these three questions before looking at the answers.
1. A client struggles with written questionnaires. What is the most inclusive response?
2. What does a strength-based approach involve?
3. What should a coach do when considering a client's cultural background?
The key message: Good coaching does not try to make everyone fit the same approach. It recognises individual strengths, removes barriers, respects identity and helps each person work towards goals that matter to them.
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