Why Coaches Don’t Give Advice

Very early on in coaching school we were told that coaches don’t give advice because it’s not helpful to the client. This is mainly because it doesn’t allow the clients to work out a solution for themselves, and also because our advice may not be appropriate for them anyway.

Now we are finding out what the neuroscience is behind this. David Rock’s book Coaching with the Brain in Mind explains this when he talks about error detection systems in the brain.

Humans are pattern matching masters and the way our brains are wired is to notice when something doesn’t quite fit what we were expecting.

So for instance, if we were expecting a red flashing light and suddenly get a white one then we will certainly pay attention because of its difference to our expectations. When we experience this error in our visual, auditory or any other circuit, a signal is given off. Activity is then seen in the orbitofrontal cortex (ofc) just behind the eyes. The ofc has been shown to light up in our brains when we don’t trust someone, or when we suspect something is not quite right. The ambiguity then makes our amygdala (our emotional response mechanism) to become aroused.

Things that are unexpected get our attention

Error detection circuits also explain a number of well-known phenomena in humans – the reason we are so focussed on problems is because it energises us.

The Media seeming to focus on bad news all the time is because it gets our attention. For example, people rubber necking at car accidents. Unexpected danger demands our attention.

Clients who are able to make a huge list of all the things they are not good at but struggle to come up with more than one or two strengths.

So how does this relate to advice-giving by a coach?

Well if the advice is unfamiliar then the uncertainly may set off the error detection response. Even if the idea is familiar. it may still induce in the client a feeling that the advice is a challenge to his or her status.

So the next time a client tries to push you into giving advice (and sometimes they do and it can be seductive) you can always quote them a bit of brain theory!