Coaching Groundwork Class 1

I’m so glad that I listened to this first 2-hour class again, and as they say in show business, “This time with more feeling.”  I also gave myself the assignment of creating my own introduction and to answer the questions asked of the participants in the recording:

• Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
• Why is Coaching important?
• Why might it be important to the world?
• What kinds of clients do you think you might work with?  or Who might choose you?

So, apart from the PDF introduction about me, I really took away vast amounts of insight and information from just this first class. 

I’m anxious to continue to learn about the participants in the recording, Crystal and Charlene.  Throughout the class, they made some very profound statements with regard to the journey they are on (and the journey that I’m also on with this course):

“I’m looking for Clarity.  I don’t know what I need to know,” was such a truthful statement!
“You don’t find a nitche, it finds YOU”

Specialty is “helpful” – attract people in your immediate community first.
Have a desire to be of service to people if you are looking to coaching.
We look for people who are positively willing to make changes – work toward something positive rather than fixing something that’s wrong.

Your habitat/environment can change you!  You can design it in a way that helps you grow!

We live in a world of rapid change – people, culture, technology – changes the way we see ourselves and our world – and we no longer have the same divisions of borders, nationality, etc. – How do we navigate constant chaotic chage? how do we move forward through new paradigms as our world changes?  Are we ready to be in the world in this new way?  Many are ready but don’t know it yet.

“I’m doing everything I was told to do.  Why am I not happy? sucessful? etc..”

We create a bunch of stuff we don’t want after we do everything we’re told or expected to do.  Coaches help people identify “What they really want.”

“You want to succeed?  Fail more!”

I also found the first two principles and the practice to be valuable to me in my own interactions with others.  I was thinking originally that I’d have to find a study and practice partner (which I may do anyway) – but over the last 2-3 days, I found myself easily integrating the concepts of “It’s all About Them” and “Constantly Validate” into much of my day to day communication with my partner and friends.

I’m saying “Wow,” “Ok,” “That’s True,” etc a lot more lately, and really trying not to put my own evaluation onto another person’s offering of what they’ve spoken.  Even today, a friend of mine was saying how they’ve felt a big shift in their attitude.  I caught myself after I said, “Ah!  So positive changes!  Tell me how that’s come about for you!” “Ok.  You’re setting small and achievable goals.  What are your first steps?”

I have to say too, that I’m enjoying these conversations a lot more with friends while I’m doing this!  It feels very natural, and it does seem to propel the conversation along faster too.  One of the things I heard Julia say in this first class was “If you aren’t enjoying your clients, then you shouldn’t be coaching them.” I think too, that even with friends and family, we might also need to have the intention of just simply enjoying our conversations with one another.

Ok!  Breakthrough!  Here’s a good question (I’m all about questions!):

If we learned to simply enjoy our conversations with others, what might happen?  What could change?

Back in the early 1990s I was a volunteer crisis counselor, and while a lot of the skills are somewhat transferable, I like the “subtle coaching difference.”  Instead of saying “You sound frustrated” (A feeling reflection), a simple validation like “That’s frustrating” or “That’s hard, yeah” seems to have a more positive and propelling energy to me, and it keeps it from becoming too “counselor speak” for lack of a better phrase.

I’m sure that both approaches have their place (like maybe diffusing crisis vs. engaging another person to find their own answers), but I’m starting to see this as a “Version 2.o” of the communication skills I was taught so long ago.

All in all, I’m enjoying things, and my interest is piqued!

Onward to class two!