The Coaching Habit is fun, practical, intelligent, and is complemented by current knowledge from behavioral research. It has become a valuable companion in my work. James Slezak, Executive Director of Strategy, New York Times. Most leaders have attended several coaching seminars throughout their careers. And most of them have had little lasting impact—both for themselves and for their employees. According to Michael Bungay Stanier, there are three reasons for this: the coaching is too theoretical, too far removed from the participants' everyday lives, and shaped by the understanding that changes in behavior are not easy. However, coaching is not difficult. The essence of coaching is to help others unleash their potential. This requires breaking free from three habits in the business world: (1) creating dependencies, (2) taking on too much work, and.