Socrates was famous for asking questions. He spoke with people on the grounds of what is called the Socratic paradox: “I know that I know nothing.” Believing that wisdom lay latent in the other, Socratic asked questions in order to dig down and expose that truth. The Socratic method has appeared in various modern forms of psychotherapy as well as coaching.

Coaching is a form of counseling where the coach listens and asks questions rather than jumping in to offer advice. Coaches help people to get unstuck in life. Whether it’s a work transition or a personal crisis, coaches help the client explore the situation from all sides before enabling them create a practical action plan to move froward. In Coaching Changes Everything, Luciano Lombardi shares the fundamental principles of coaching using key acronyms as a mnemonic aid.

Most helpful in Coaching Changes Everything are the sample dialogues. These clarify how a coach should ask questions and what type of questions they should ask. In addition to the resonance with Socratic method, coaching shares some phenomenological presuppositions. “Curiosity and listening” (33) are key virtues, echoing the sense of wonder found at the core of any good phenomenological investigator.

Although Lombardi wrote Coaching for a non-religious audience, his faith does come through in the book. I would be interested to see how the coaching method overlaps and contrasts with traditional forms of pastoral counseling.

If you’re interested in a primer on coaching techniques or even want to explore an issue in your own life from a coaching perspective, Lombardi’s a good coach to have in your corner.

Lombardi, Luciano. Coaching Changes Everything: Make Coaching Part of Your Leadership Behaviour. Burlington: Leadership Coaching Canada, 2015.