Coaching has always been about style. And more broadly, the helping functions that are a part of postmodern life, are essentially style-based.

A number of years ago, we did a small research project at Leadership University to try to understand if people really wanted to be coached, or not.

The results were as I predicted.

Most people don’t want to be coached, but they do want help.

So, over time, I have shifted my general focus from “just coaching” to GUIDING.

Most will be more comfortable with helping as opposed to guiding as the “been there, done that” component of Guiding narrows one’s capability.

More on that later, but for now, I need to give you a heads-up on the helping functions that are a part of almost ANY endeavor to help someone… guide, coach, mentor, teach, parent, counsel, etc.

Helping Basics 101

How do you cue, support, and scaffold help?

Let’s backup.

What are cues, support, and scaffolding?

Let’s backup one more level?

Why are cues, support, and scaffolding important?

In thinking and feeling our way through the helping functions, we must understand how people learn.

A favorite model I’ve used for three decades is the experiential learning model encapsulated by David Kolb in his “Learning Style Inventory.”



It’s simple and has a LOT of Learning Style Relatives and comes with a monetizable assessment, as do most.

The latest version has 9 styles:



But! That’s not why I’m here.

I just needed to give you something for context and Learning Style, Coaching Style… helping styles all require cues, support, and scaffolding to exist.

So, what are cues, support, and scaffolding as part of the basic helping function?

Cue = a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance.
synonyms: signal, sign, indication, prompt, reminder; More on google.

Support = a thing that bears the weight of something or keeps it upright. “the best support for a camera is a tripod”
synonyms: pillar, post, prop, upright, crutch, plinth, brace, buttress; More on google

Scaffolding = a temporary structure on the outside of a building, made usually of wooden planks and metal poles, used by workers while building, repairing, or cleaning the building.

Now you could say that I’ve played a sleight of hand with these three terms, and I admit they are coopted, but nonetheless critical for all helping functions.

Now that I’ve defined them, in my next microcast, I’ll show you how and why these three helping functions matter.

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