Today, the demand for coaching continues to grow. Leaders, managers, teams, individuals, and entire organizations want to clarify a situation, shift a posture, manage emotions more effectively, or strengthen their skills. Many also want to understand what happens during a coaching process and what coaching tools actually deliver. The Three Ps offer a simple and memorable compass. They clarify the coach’s role, strengthen the alliance, secure the framework, and motivate change.
In summary:
In this article, I explain:
– Why Power, Protection, and Permission structure the coach posture coach the coaching relationship.
-how each P contributes to the framework, ethics, progress, and change of the coachee.
- and how the Three Ps work together to support effective, autonomous, and lasting coaching.
I also include reflective questions to deepen the exploration.
Why do the three Ps occupy a central place in the coach posture coach
The Three Ps provide a clear and practical foundation. A professional coach relies on them to align their posture, guide the relationship, and uphold ethical standards. They remind the coach that they support the client’s growth, clarify the coaching framework, and reinforce autonomy.
Power in coaching refers to the coach’s ability to create a transformative space and the coachee’s ability to activate their own resources to reach their goals, take action, and commit. It develops through the coach’s inner posture. The coach inspires trust through emotional stability, calm, and grounded presence. This atmosphere enables the coachee to reveal their solutions.
Strategic questioning and active listening also play a key role in stimulating and honoring the coachee’s power.
Protection relates to the establishment of a clear working framework and a non-judgmental ethic. The coach defines rules, rhythm, and responsibilities. They clearly explain what coaching entails and what distinguishes it from consulting or therapy. With this structure, the coachee enters a safe space. The coach refrains from judging the coachee. They avoid influencing the process with personal beliefs or opinions. This approach allows the coachee to move forward without fear of judgment, explore inner blocks, and access deeper motivations.
Finally, Permission opens the way forward. It creates a dynamic, flexible space. It allows the coachee to move beyond a block. It encourages experimentation. It invites the coachee to express a deeper need. It supports the transformation of old beliefs. Permission brings fresh air. It widens perspective. It awakens curiosity and the desire to act.
What does “Power” really mean in the coaching relationship?
Power reflects the coachee’s inner strength. It includes talents, resources, values, motivations, and creativity. The coach does not create this power. The coach reveals it and strengthens it through questions and attentive listening.
Key Elements of Power
- Self-awareness
- Connection to inner resources
- Understanding the challenges
- Capacity for action
- Alignment with personal values
- Personal responsibility
Power initiates movement. It fuels action. It supports progress throughout the coaching sessions. It makes lasting change possible.
What protections are essential for professional or life coaching?
Here is a simple list:
Essential protections
- A clear time structure: duration, frequency, and end of the process
- Explicit rules: confidentiality, responsibility, respect.
- A shared intention: mutually agreed-upon coaching goals
- Ethical vigilance: professional ethics and scope of practice
- Professional distance: neutrality and non-judgment
- Emotional safety: warm welcome and active listening
Examples
- The coach reminds the coachee that decision-making power remains with them
- The coach clarifies the coaching contract when managers or executives sponsor the process
These protections create a stable framework. They allow the coachee to explore and take action.
Why does permission become a key driver of openness and change?
Permission grants inner authorization. It opens an exploratory space. It unlocks boldness. It transforms the coachee’s inner dialogue.
With permission, a new idea can emerge. A desire takes shape. A possibility becomes real. The coach supports this movement. They ask questions that expand the space. They stimulate the coachee’s intuition. They invite small experiments. They encourage a first step forward.
How do the three Ps work together to support the coachee’s growth?
The three Ps function as a living system:
| Element | Role | Effect |
| Power | Activates resources | The coachee acts |
| Protection | Secures the framework | The coachee dares |
| Permission | Open the space | The coachee tests |
This trio forms a practical foundation. It helps the coach practice with clarity and integrity. It gives the coachee ideal conditions to progress, clarify a request, overcome an obstacle, strengthen skills, and reach their goals.
Is this only relevant in coaching?
No. The Three Ps also strengthen managerial posture. They support leader-coaches, HR professionals, trainers, and executives who want to motivate teams.
The Three Ps offer a simple and powerful structure to improve communication, boost engagement, and support change. They are also useful in brief therapy, mentoring, management, and individual support.
FAQ: The three fundamental Ps in coaching
How do the three Ps create a solid framework?
They clarify the rules, activate resources, and open up the possibility for action.
What protections are essential?
A clear contract, explicit rules, strict confidentiality, and an ethical posture.
Why does Permission motivate change?
Because it unlocks boldness, authorizes action, and broadens available options.
What does Power mean in coaching
Power refers to the coachee’s inner strength and capacity to act.
If you would like to know more, or see whether coaching could be right for you, feel free to contact me for an initial conversation: Aurore Chavernac
For further information, please also contact : Fabienne Revillard
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Author: Aurore Chavernac is coach at AAA+ Coaching Training. With over 15 years of experience in corporate positions of international responsibility, including more than 10 years of management , Aurore Chavernac is passionate about human dynamics and convinced that performance and well-being reinforce each other. Since 2020, she has been supporting companies and individuals through coaching training.
Areas of expertise: coaching , skills assessments, life coaching , management training, communication training.
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