The Art of Coaching

Reviews / Votes

"When The Art of Coaching first appeared, I really loved the material and could use it immediately in my coaching. It's full of practical and novel tools. Bringing together visual reinforcement into coaching is, I believe, a unique insight. So, I am delighted to recommend this new edition with more original models and techniques developed over the last few years bringing the work right up to date for coaching in turbulent times. And delivered, as always, in accessible and compelling ways. An indispensable work for all coaches."

Rob Goode, International Consultant in Operational Excellence

"This book provides a clear, rigorous, and highly accessible set of visual frameworks that effectively support the development of coaching and leadership capability. As the core text for the postgraduate Coaching and Leadership modules at the University of Plymouth, it equips healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines with practical tools to enhance their coaching practice. Its well-structured models encourage thoughtful application, prompting learners to consider the wider impact of coaching on teams and organisations. Feedback from participants has been consistently positive, with particular appreciation for the book's flexibility and the practical guidance offered for each model."

Dr Rachel Pascoe, University of Plymouth

"The Art of Coaching provides a refreshingly accessible and comprehensive collection of visual coaching models. This practical resource, clearly written by hands-on coaches, will appeal not only to the newer coach but acts as a valuable aide-memoire for more experienced coaches, and coach supervisors. The second edition brings a creative response to world conditions, from mental health issues, the impact of war to AI challenges. Authors Jenny Bird and Sarah Gornall have acknowledged the additional pressures for coaches, and their need to support clients through increasingly turbulent times."

Helen Isacke, Founder of the Trusted Coach Directory

Praise for 1st Edition:

"This book is compelling, it is fun, and it is comprehensive. To a large extent it can replace coaching itself: I am sure coachees will be delighted to work with it and might prefer the book to their coach. For coaches, it is the best representation of classic models I have seen - and it perfectly illustrates the balance between intellect and intuition which makes great coaching." - Erik de Haan, Professor of Organisation Development & Director of Centre for Coaching, Ashridge Business School, UK

"Jenny Bird and Sarah Gornall make the case for a visual approach to working on issues in coaching. They share the models that they use, and explain how they use them, and how clients put them into action. They also illustrate how coaches and clients can create their own models and what this approach to creativity does to free up and empower clients. This book offers a heartening challenge to coaches who rely exclusively on speech and text, and offers a route to illumination for even those frozen into a world of words." - David Megginson, Emeritus Professor of HRD at Sheffield Hallam University, UK

"This book is a joy to read. The choice to use a 'constant interplay of words and images' makes this rich resource, eminently readable. It brings to the table wide-ranging practices for coaches, leaders, managers, mentors and supervisors - a veritable feast of images, ideas, suggestions, new tools, intriguing models. Creativity is explored and shared so generously and the reader is encouraged at every point to play with the practical and imaginative ideas in this book. The authors' extensive experience shines from every page and the reader is offered plenty of further reading. A unique and valuable addition to professional literature!" - Edna Murdoch, Founder and Director of the Coaching Supervision Academy, UK.

"Jenny Bird and Sarah Gornall have distilled an extensive range of models that coaches at all levels will value. With their deep understanding of the purpose and practice of coaching this book is a great resource for practicing coaches. From contracting to creativity, this menu of models based on imagery and diagrams is written in an accessible summarised manner. Prompting ways to use each model rather than prescribing, the handwritten illustrations exude a working style that is both insightful and practical. Drawing on the power of metaphor and exploring how to use shapes to get to better understanding, this book will help coaches to move their clients beyond the analytical bias endemic in most executive roles, and get to insights that will make a real difference to their personal and professional effectiveness." - Penny de Valk, Managing Director, Penna Talent Practice, London, UK

"When faced with introducing coaching in a corporate world, or getting an internal client to notice patterns of behaviour in a coaching session, words are not always enough. In my organisation, employees and leaders alike understand and relate to concepts and models and often have little time to engage in a conversation about the value of coaching! This book is written by two very experienced coaches who also understand organisations. It is essential to any HR, OD or L&D professional who wants to know about coaching, wants to introduce coaching in their organisation, or simply wants to strengthen their own coaching practice." - Mylene Baxter, Group Head of Organisational Development, RES Group, UK

"To be an effective manager you need a number of skills to get the best out of your people. Coaching is one of the most valuable and rewarding and this book provides me with everything I need to practice and develop this essential skill." - Kevin Croot, Senior Development Manager for Global Banking and Markets at HSBC, UK

"The Art of Coaching is a very informative and useful leader's toolkit that captures many different lenses to view and develop their teams and themselves. It provides tried and tested methods that allow you to roll your sleeves up, get the right perspective and encourage effective change." - Priyesh Khanna, Managing Director, Risk, Deutsche Bank, UK

"I enjoyed Jenny Bird and Sarah Gornall's straightforward language and diagrams, their (often humorous) sharing of personal experiences and their clear, jargon-free presentation of the concepts. I appreciated the book's tone: less 'sit at my feet and learn', and more 'come and listen to us sharing and learning together...This is a coaching book written with the practitioner (not the academic) in mind. It's a welcome dip-in guide for both the seasoned professional and the newly qualified coach." - Kim Gregory, Chair of the Guildford Coaches Group, Coaching at Work

"I have not seen a compendium like this anywhere else. The strength of the book is its breadth, and the sense that it has been 'live out' before it was written. It was born out of practice. There are brief overviews of theory, many of which emanate from the counselling world, but it's applied well to the coaching realm too and appropriately grounded in its focus on the value of the meaning that the client brings to work...It leaves the reader wanting more, which, in my view, is a measure of its success." - Nic Blackwell, Coaching Today

"Jenny Bird and Sarah Gornall have created a valuable resource for quick reference, instant accessibility and fast learning, built on a strong theoretical base. Each model in the book is explained with a clear, accessible diagram and a simple guide to what it is, how it works and how to put it into action. The text is full of inspiration for applications of the ideas in scenarios based on real coaching practice." - Linda Jennings, Gulf Weekly Book Club