One afternoon when I was finishing up my master's degree in Pasadena, California I looked for a place to study and drove past the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel. From my Japan days, I knew hotel lobbies and cafés were great for sitting, talking, and reading. You paid a small fortune for the coffee, but it's a wonderful environment.

I pulled up in our minivan in a t-shirt and jeans and parked next to a Porsche. A hotel staff greeted me. "I'd like to have a coffee and read for a while. Would that be okay?" I asked.

She smiled and answered, "Of course, this is the Ritz-Carlton, you may do you anything you want," motioning me to the terrace. She explained to the server I was there for a cup of coffee and to read. The server lit up, "Of course, right this way," and seated me at a quiet table near some palm trees for the next two hours.

25 years later, I still remember their welcoming kindness. Hospitality brings humanity to service through a smile, an attitude, a tone of voice. It's not a transactional encounter. Care and heart come through.

In coaching, we bring humanity to the conversation by caring for the whole person of the client, not just chasing their problem.

We do this by showing interest in them as people: their beliefs, strengths, experiences, and values. We ask about their concerns, desires, and emotions. We provide empathy, acknowledgement, and support.

By focusing on the person, not only their problem, we'll see more problems fundamentally solved.

Great coaching produces how-to plans of action through transformation of the person.