As a coach, I work with people and groups using adult learning concepts. 
Adults learn differently than children. The Bible says in 1 Cor.13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Adults who live from a learning stance learn best when they have permission to choose their own goals and ways of learning. Grownups are motivated to gain knowledge or new skills on a ‘need to know’ basis. Your home or worksite provides compelling reasons for personal learning and growth: new responsibilities are acquired, challenges need to be overcome, and situations arise which require innovative answers and effective methods.
As adult learners, my coaching clients select their goals and determine how they will work toward attaining them. My role is to help you identify your motivation, clarify your objectives and hold you accountable for living life from a proactive, learning stance. A proactive, learning stance implies that all of our life experiences are vital components in personal growth. There is something of value to be discovered in every interaction that God permits. It is the discovery of value in life situations that provides the empowerment for positive and proactive living.
Learning with Coaching Questions
Strategic coaching questions help you to move off of an autopilot, knee-jerk response and move toward to a well thought out course of action. Some hypothetical questions I might ask my clients are:
· “What do you need to know in order to move forward?”
· “How does this situation impact your day-to-day choices?”
· “Who do you need to be to meet this requirement?”
Questions such as these imply that the person being coached has the ability to learn, grow and make responsible choices and decisions to move forward in life. My coaching clients become skilled at living from a learning stance and enjoy a greater measure of empowerment, and fulfillment in their lives. They become leaders and catalysts for positive action in their circles of influence.
Erna Kriigel does Small Group Coaching in Georgia, and is conducting research on the connection between experiential learning and leadership development. Visit her at www.SteppingStonesCoach.com
