When I talk about coaching, its value and the techniques it uses, I don’t usually think about the fact that what is obvious to me is far from obvious to others. A simple truth that I need to keep reminding myself 🙂 So, this time I want to share a little bit more about how a coaching session works, i.e. how a coach works with a client.
Whether it’s a one-off session or ongoing work with the same client, each time I ask the client – what kind of issue is it important for you to solve today? This means that the topic of the session is completely controlled by the client. Another equally important question at the beginning of the session is to clarify with the client what outcome they want to achieve that day. So, as you can see, during the session the client is working on what the client wants, the role of the coach is to be there for the client and not to get in the way of the client’s conversation with himself or herself.
Once the coach has clarified at the beginning of the session what the client’s issue is and what result he/she wants to achieve, the specialist chooses the most appropriate working methods and guides the client in a targeted way towards the goal of the session. The client is asked thought-provoking and creative questions that allow him/her to look at his/her issue from a different angle, to find alternatives that have not been explored so far or to discover limiting beliefs that hinder the desired outcome. Every time I come to a crossroads where possible directions of conversation are branching out, I ask the client – which one do you want to talk about next?
Towards the end of the session, no matter how broadly we have covered the topic up to that point, we go back to the specifics – what the client has found useful during the session, and what concrete actions they will take now to resolve their issue.
As you can see, in a session, the client is responsible for the outcome and the coach is responsible for the process. There is no mystique here. The result is directly proportional to the effort and openness.
Feeling stuck in a situation, want to see your issue from a different angle? I’d be happy to help you do that!
With best wishes for growth,
Dovilė
Your thinking partner online, in France (Savoie), Switzerland (Geneva region)
linkedin.com/in/dovile-rodziute