Speaking: Functional Language C2 - Lesson 3: Mentoring & Coaching Others in Advanced Communication Skills

🧑‍🏫 Speaking: Functional Language C2 - Lesson 3: Mentoring & Coaching Others in Advanced Communication Skills

Welcome back! The ultimate sign of C2-level mastery is not just personal excellence, but the ability to develop excellence in others. This lesson focuses on the functional language of mentoring¹ and coaching²—the skills used by leaders, managers, and teachers to guide others towards improving their own communication abilities.

The GROW Model: A Framework for Coaching

A great coach doesn't give answers; they ask questions that help the other person find their own solutions. The GROW model is a simple, powerful framework for structuring a coaching conversation.

The GROW Coaching Framework:

G - Goal: Help them define a clear and specific objective.

"What would you like to achieve in this presentation?" / "What does success look like for you in this negotiation?"

R - Reality: Help them assess their current situation honestly.

"What are the key challenges you're facing right now?" / "On a scale of 1-10, how confident do you feel about this?"

O - Options: Help them brainstorm possibilities and strategies. Resist the urge to give them your own solution.

"What are three different ways you could open your speech?" / "What would happen if you tried...?"

W - Will (or Way Forward): Help them commit to a specific, actionable next step.

"So, what is the one specific action you will take this week?" / "How will you ensure you are prepared?"

The Language of Mentoring: Sharing Wisdom & Building Confidence

Mentoring is less about a specific task and more about sharing long-term guidance and perspective.

Sharing Personal Experience:

"I remember facing a very similar challenge early in my career. The lesson I learned was..."

Offering a New Perspective (Reframing):

"I know this feels like a major failure, but another way to look at it is as your most valuable learning experience so far."

Empowering³ and Building Confidence:

"You have all the necessary skills to handle this. I have full confidence in your judgment."

Scenario: A Mentoring Session

Listen to a senior partner, Ms. Leakhena, coaching a junior lawyer, Rithy, who is nervous about his first negotiation.

Rithy: "Ms. Leakhena, I'm very nervous about the negotiation with 'Global Exports'. I'm not sure what our strategy should be."

Leakhena: "I understand. It's a big case. Let's talk it through. First, what is the single most important **(G)oal** for our client in this negotiation?"

Rithy: "To secure a long-term contract."

Leakhena: "Exactly. And what is the current **(R)eality**? What's the main obstacle?"

Rithy: "They believe our price is too high."

Leakhena: "Okay. So, what are some **(O)ptions** we have to address their price concern without compromising our own position?"

Rithy: "We could offer a discount for a longer contract, or perhaps include a free service package..."

Leakhena: "Excellent. Those are both viable strategies. **(W)ill** you prepare a proposal for both options so we can decide on the best one? I remember my first major negotiation; I was incredibly nervous, but being over-prepared gave me confidence. You have a great legal mind, Rithy. I'm sure you will handle it very well."

💡 The Art of "Saving Face": Coaching in Cambodia

In a Cambodian cultural context, giving direct, critical feedback can cause the other person to "lose face" and can damage your relationship. The Socratic method of asking questions, as used in the GROW model, is a highly effective and respectful way to coach.

Instead of telling someone they are wrong, you ask questions that guide them to discover the weakness in their own argument.

• Direct Feedback (less effective): "Your argument is weak because you have no evidence."
• Coaching Question (more effective): "That's an interesting point. What specific evidence could you use to make that argument even more persuasive?"

This empowers the person to find their own solution, which is the goal of all great coaching.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Identify the Coaching Function

Read the coach's question and identify which part of the GROW model it represents.

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1. "So, now that we've discussed some different approaches, what is the specific first step you are going to take when you leave this room?"

A) Goal
B) Reality
C) Options
D) Will (Way Forward)

→ Answer: D. This question is designed to get a specific commitment to action, which is the final and most important step of the GROW model.

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2. "That's a clear goal. Let's talk about the current situation. What is the single biggest obstacle currently standing in your way?"

A) Goal
B) Reality
C) Options
D) Will (Way Forward)

→ Answer: B. The coach is asking the person to assess their current situation and identify the main problem.

📝 Your Mission: The "Peer Coaching" Challenge

Your mission is to practice coaching someone using the GROW model. You are not allowed to give advice!

1. Work with a partner. Person A is the "Coachee," Person B is the "Coach."
2. The Coachee (Person A): Think of a real, small communication challenge you are facing. (e.g., "I need to give my boss some difficult feedback," or "I want to be more confident speaking in team meetings.") Explain your challenge to the coach.
3. The Coach (Person B): Your job is to guide the Coachee for 5 minutes using only questions from the GROW model. Do not offer your own opinions or solutions.
   • Start with "G": "What would a successful outcome look like for you?"
   • Move to "R": "What's the main thing holding you back?"
   • Move to "O": "What are some possible things you could try?"
   • End with "W": "So what's your concrete next step?"
4. Switch roles. This exercise is challenging but will fundamentally improve your ability to lead, manage, and empower others.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. To Mentor: (Verb) - เป็นพี่เลี้ยง (bpen pêe-líang) / ណែនាំ (naenɑm) - To advise and support someone with less experience over a period of time, sharing wisdom and perspective. ↩
2. To Coach: (Verb) - ฝึกสอน (fèuk-sŏn) / បង្វឹក (bɑŋ'vək) - To train or instruct someone on how to improve a particular skill, often through targeted questions and observation. ↩
3. To Empower: (Verb) - ให้อำนาจ (hâi am-nâat) / ให้อำนาจ (hai am'naat) - To give someone the confidence, skills, or authority to do something. ↩
4. Constructive: (Adjective) - เชิงสร้างสรรค์ (cherng sâang-săn) / ស្ថាបនា (s'tʰaapana) - Intended to have a useful or beneficial effect; helpful. ↩
5. To facilitate: (Verb) - อำนวยความสะดวก (am-nuay kwaam sà-dùak) / សម្របសម្រួល (sɑm'rɔp sɑm'ruəl) - To make a process easier by guiding it. ↩