174 Glossary "Debbie, I know how much you want to change your relationship with your dad, yet I hear you are interacting with him the way you always have." "You're annoyed that your manager didn't consider your workload when she assigned you to this new project." Asking permission. This skill enables clients to grant the coaching relationship access to unusually intimate or sometimes uncomfortable areas of focus. "May I tell you a hard truth?" "Is it all right to coach you on this issue?" "May I tell you what I see?" Bottom-lining. This is the skill of brevity and succinctness on the part of both the coach and the client. It is also about having clients get to the essence of their communication rather than engaging in long, descriptive stories. Brainstorming. Using this skill, coach and client together generate ideas, alternatives, and possible solutions. Some may be outrageous and impractical. This is merely a creative exercise to expand the possibilities available to clients. Neither coach nor client is attached to any of the ideas suggested. Challenge. A challenge is a request that stretches clients way beyond their self-