Pondering questions

Things to consider to incorporate in my coaching practice yes/no:

• Business website or blog or both?
• Second niche - teachers and technology?
  
• Foundation session on 'values'?
• Business name
• Methods of payment?
• Good quality headset
• Client Management System?
• Feedback on bio?
• Assessments for clients - related to target group?
• Podcasts?
• Teleseminars?
• Coaching gym?
• e-coaching?

Goals and values

As a coach, we support our clients in creating value-based goals. Before any goals can be set, the client must first determine what their values are. By creating goals based on our values we ensure the optimal return on our investment of time and energy, because our success will be in the areas that matter the most to us.

Quite often people make goals for themselves that are not aligned to their values. They may feel pressure from others such as family, friends and peers. Making a goal because it is expected of you is unlikely to result in success and joy.

How to align values and goals? By asking over and over again 'what is important about achieving this goal?'. The criterias that clients use are their values. And bringing that insight to clients about what their true values are will support clients in chosing their own goals.

Responding vs Reacting

When people around us do or say something that involves us - directly or indirectly - we either respond or react and there are consequences to each course of action. The same goes for when an event occurs in our life. We either respond or react to it.

In responding mode we are taking full responsibility for our actions, we have thought about the situation and chose the best approach to deal with it. In this mode you are empowered.
In reaction mode you don't have the power, it is based on resistance or opposition without much thought.

Reaction comes from judgments. Response is a choice and comes from a chosen perspective. An effective way to turn our reactions into responses is to discern our judgments behind them. Once you have clearly detected the judgment, you can choose to let the feeling and belief go, and instead, create a response.

An example: sometimes in interaction with other people you see the same patterns happening over and over again - for instance discussions with your mother unfold always rather unpleasantly. If your reaction on what she is saying and how she says it is always the same, these discussions will follow the same pattern. But if you are able to see that this is happening, you can choose a different approach and perspective to the discussions, with a careful chosen response instead of an emotional reaction.

My Coaching Model

I have been working on the design and refinement of my coaching model, see below for the backbone of my coaching process and some more explanation:

I believe that the journey to who you really are and the discovery of what you really want is the hart of the coaching process. Through your personal experiences in life and the way you interact with the people that surround you, chances are that you have forgotten how it feels when your motivation and your drivers come from inside you. Only when you know what drives you are you able to define and achieve the goals that suit you personally.

During the coaching process you will reflect continuously on the steps you take, the goals you set for yourself, the things you achieve, your drivers and values that become stronger and make you grow.

To achieve your goals you will identify a path to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. This could be a plan with certain steps that you want to take or an overview where you break down your main goal in smaller and more achievable goals. And to be able to follow the path you've identified you will need to put in place some necessary structures; this could be the establishment of a certain support structure that works for you or the removal of obstacles that prevent you from achieving your goals.

All together it means that you are ready to take action, and that you are committed to change those things in your life that you decided needed to be changed in order to have a fulfilling personal and professional life. Along the way I will encourage you to celebrate your growth; it takes courage to start a coaching process and to undergo the journey to discover what you really want. You are taking responsibility for you own life and decisions, which is something to be very proud of.

Welcome Pack

A well organised coach has put certain structures in place to inform her clients about the coaching process. This means that my clients can expect to receive the following information:

Directly after scheduling a trial session (Intro Pack):

• Information about 'what is coaching'
• Information about me and my coaching model
• Information about the coaching process and 'logistics'
• Policies & Procedures

After signing up (Coaching Pack):

• ICF Code of Ethics
• Invoice
  
• Intake Form
• Session Preparation Form
• Feedback and Evaluation Form
• Release of Confidential Information Form (for International Coach Federation accreditation purposes)
  

The art of coaching (2)

• Let the client lead the session
• The client is right no matter what
• Don't be directive
• Listen what questions the client is asking herself - often without knowing it. Bring those questions back to the client by asking them.
  

Trust vs Doubt (2)

A story about a music teacher:

A music teacher in Australia gave all his students an A at the beginning of the Term. They didn't have to do anything for it, they just received this excellent mark. He told them that the only thing he wanted from them was just to be creative.

It freed the students from their nerves, they didn't have to go through the process of getting a good mark and doubting about their own skills, they got very motivated instead and trusted themselves to learn.

Action vs Delay

Action is the root to change. Action makes the process move forward. Action creates more action - it reduces doubt and improves trust. Life and energy are being created.
Action is only possible when you are fully committed - if people want to be coached they are ready for change. If you are stuck, any action not related to your goal is good to open a window to a solution. It gives you momentum.

Sometimes it would be good to slow down action, though...