Understanding Hilltops in Coaching
Exploring Personal Beliefs and Attitudes to Deepen Connection
This compilation is an educational resource developed by the British School of Coaching. This series is compiled as a foundational resource for coaches in training. Each article introduces a practical coaching tool or model, grounded in theory and supported by real-world application. Whether you’re preparing for ILM coaching qualifications or looking to deepen your understanding of best practice in coaching, this series offers research-informed insights to strengthen your coaching toolkit.
Coaching is not a one-size-fits-all process. Every individual brings their own lens, worldview, and assumptions to the coaching relationship. At the British School of Coaching, we use the metaphor of hilltops to describe these unique perspectives—and the need for coaches to recognise and navigate them with empathy and skill.
What Is a Hilltop?
A hilltop represents a person’s vantage point—the combination of beliefs, values, assumptions, and experiences that shape how they see the world. No two people stand on exactly the same hilltop. This influences how they:
- See situations and people
- Prioritise what is important
- Interpret events and interactions
- Approach challenges
- Make decisions
- Respond to coaching
This metaphor allows coaches to respect the partial but valid truth of every person’s experience while remaining open to its limitations.
Why Hilltops Matter in Coaching
A coach who fails to explore a client’s hilltop risks missing core motivators, communication barriers, or untapped strengths. Conversely, a coach who actively works to understand a client’s hilltop can:
- Enhance empathy and rapport
- Tailor interventions and questions
- Identify unspoken drivers or blind spots
- Increase coachee engagement and insight
- Build a more authentic relationship
🌱 When we climb the hilltop with our clients, we gain a shared view of their inner world.
Diagnosing the Hilltop: A Process Skill
Effective coaches use diagnostic skills to uncover and understand a client’s beliefs, values, and perspectives. This might involve:
- Deep listening
- Asking reflective, values-based questions
- Observing language and behaviour patterns
- Exploring emotional responses and assumptions
🗣️ Coaching Prompts:
“What matters most to you about this?”
“How do you see this situation playing out?”
“What’s shaping your thinking right now?”
These questions don’t just gather information—they build trust and insight.
What are the Hilltop Influences
Understanding a coachee’s hilltop helps explain:
- How they behave under pressure or uncertainty
- How they relate to others at work or in life
- How they communicate, listen, and interpret meaning
- What motivates or demotivates them
- Which leadership or performance styles they prefer
Group Hilltops: Organisational Culture and Subcultures
The concept of hilltops extends beyond individuals. Teams, departments, and entire organisations also develop collective hilltops—a shared set of values, stories, and assumptions that influence group behaviour.
Understanding group hilltops can help coaches working with:
- Team coaching and facilitation
- Organisational change
- Leadership development across cultures or silos
- Conflict resolution within and between groups
Just like individuals, groups believe “what they see is true”—but it may only be a partial truth.
Coaching Implications: A Call for Curiosity
As coaches, we must be committed to:
- Diagnosing—not assuming—the client’s worldview
- Surfacing and challenging limiting beliefs
- Valuing different perspectives without judgment
- Adapting our approach to each client’s hilltop
- Cultivating a coaching relationship that honours diversity of thought
💬 “People see the same things in very different ways. We all believe that what we see is true—but what we see is only part of the picture.”
References:
- Cox, E., Bachkirova, T., & Clutterbuck, D. (2018). The Complete Handbook of Coaching. 3rd ed. SAGE.
- Rogers, J. (2021). Coaching Skills: A Handbook. 5th ed. Open University Press.
- Starr, J. (2021). The Coaching Manual. 5th ed. Pearson Education.
