Advanced Coaching Techniques #1

The first class of this course was held on Wednesday, May 30, 2007. It was a great introduction class about the different techniques that can be used in coaching. We started with talking about ‘creation’. Karen asked each of us to share what we wanted to create in our own life. My share for this week was to create simplicity. I feel as a family we are trying to ‘do’ less so that we have more time to enjoy life and each other.

We talked about what to do with a client that comes into a session and doesn’t have goals or anything that they want to talk about. I have experienced this as the client and I think that the way my coach handled it was great and I will handle it the same way when the situation arises. That is to just allow the client to start to talk about some different things that are going on and see if something comes up from there. I found that there were often just little goals or things to work on rather than these big grandiose goals. Another possibility that was brought up was to just say that it is fine and would they like to reschedule for a later time in the week.

We talked about setting specific goals and also about how to allow flexibility in the goals. Realizing that the goals may change and evolve and to allow that to happen as needed. This moves us into using the technique of ‘visualization’. If we are able to help our clients come up with a way to visualize what they want or what it would look like when they achieved their goal it helps the client to be motivated. It may be through a story board, a word picture or an item that represents the goal.

Our homework for next week is to use one of the techniques on our own share for today. So, for me I wanted to create simplicity…now I have to use a technique this week that will support that creation.