Coaching your clients to a decision

People enlist the help of a coach for a variety of reasons, but the underlying motivation for most is a desire for change.

But what happens when clients understand the need for change but have no idea which path to take? They are stuck and frustrated. And you are left struggling to figure out how to help.

There can be a number of reasons behind the indecision:

* Too much information:

They are overwhelmed by choices, options, tools (personality tests, lists), or resources (books, blogs, social media feeds)

* Fear of missing out: “If I commit to a decision, what other opportunities will I miss out on?”

* Or, just plain old FEAR: How will this decision impact my income, my family, my security? What if I fail?

When your client is at a standstill, instead of doing more research or revisiting the pros and cons, try one of these methods to uncover a spontaneous, intuitive, unscripted answer:

* Academy Awards

Get your client to close their eyes and imagine their favorite actor onstage at the podium, ripping open the envelope to reveal the decision. “And the decision is…”

* Practice

Have them tackle minor decisions first. These small gains will give them confidence to make bigger decisions.

* Heads or tails:

This seems reckless, but there is a method here. By inviting your client to flip a coin, it can elicit a passionate response, making clear their preferred choice.

Excessively weighing options can lead to overwhelm and inaction. This can be so much more problematic than a bad decision. The longer it takes your client to make decisions; the more likely outside influences will start to make decisions for them. Help them get to a place of action.

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
Neil Peart

The choice is yours,

Jane Gardner

The post Coaching your clients to a decision first appeared on Coaches Coach.

Group dynamics can be tricky.

Each participant brings with them a unique history, learning style, and way of expressing themselves. Group coaching can make people feel vulnerable and anxious. Members come in with big goals and a strong desire for change, and they are sharing their most precious ideas, hopes, and dreams. So, sometimes, emotions are going to run high and people will act out.

When people get defensive, nervous or insecure, negative behaviors can surface: challenging all suggestions, disengaging, stealing the show, or positioning themselves as the resident expert on all topics.

As a coach, it is your job to get a handle on any negativity and guide the conversation and energy to something more positive. From the first meeting, brainstorm with the group to decide ground rules and create a group culture everybody can get behind.

But people will still step out of bounds. As a coach, your best tool to address any of these negative behaviors is acknowledgment. Acknowledge what they are feeling and expressing and address the issue up front.

* Invite them to offer solutions
* Encourage them to be open to other points of view and remind them of the benefits of doing so
* Acknowledge the contributions or points they’ve made and then gently turn conversation back to the group
* Look for the positives in what they are expressing
* Acknowledge your own biases and viewpoints that may be clouding your judgment
* And sometimes, it may be necessary to take them aside and privately and constructively discuss the behavior

Ultimately, you are responsible for the energy of the group. If negativity rules the day, progress will be stalled and growth stunted. Work with your clients to keep it positive and forward-looking.

Keep it positive,

Jane Gardner

The post How to deal with challenging behaviors (in group coaching sessions) first appeared on Coaches Coach.

“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result.” Bob Proctor

A goal that is shared with others is more likely to be achieved. It’s all about accountability. Once other people are involved, things start to get very real.

But when it comes to group coaching, accountability isn’t about pride or ‘saving face’ with other group members.

Accountability brings with it powerful motivators: the excitement of a shared experience, inspiration from the success of others, and positive reinforcement from the group.

Here are some practical ways to introduce accountability into your group coaching programs:

* Breakout groups

It can be easy for some of your clients to get lost in the crowd. If this happens, accountability loses its power. So break people up into smaller groups. Once members form a connection with each other, they become more invested in the entire group’s success.

* Assign accountability partners

Pair group members up based on similar goals or working style. Outside of the group, accountability partners will check in with each other and share their progress.

* Integrate ‘progress reports’ into group chats or on social media

Group members can also share progress online. Keep it to one standout item per person, so members who haven’t achieved as much aren’t demotivated or disheartened. To keep it interesting, create a theme around the share: “Name one breakthrough you’ve had this week”, “Tell us about a to-do item that you finally crossed off your list”, “Share something that you are proud of this week”.

Keep raising the bar,

Jane Gardner

P.S. Get Feedback from members of the Group to see if Accountablity is working or it is getting lost!

The post Create a Culture of Accountability in your Coaching Group first appeared on Coaches Coach.

What do Tony Robbins, Brene Brown, Oprah Winfrey and a skilled craftsman all have in common? They are all experts in their field. An expert, by definition, is a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or a skill in a particular area.

• They don’t have to resort to using notes or do tons of research on the topic. For example, you may know or have dealt with someone who can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about computers. They are knowledgeable about the latest developments and all the new apps that work best. This is an expert in his or her field.
• Experts are human filters. They select and identify what information their clients need to know to solve their problem.
• Every person finds their own experts on a topic by identifying who they connect with and who align with their personal values.

People are more engaged by those they feel understand what they are going through. They feel these experts are more able to engage with them on a personal level.

But what if you feel like an imposter? Or you don’t know what your expertise is?

This is one of the main reasons many fail to move into coaching and offering high-ticket programs that can help others.

You are an expert though! To find your expertise look at your life.

1. What things do you spend your time doing? Have you been tying flies for fishing since you were a young child?
2. What are the problems you’ve overcome? Have you beat depression?
3. What are you so passionate about it doesn’t really feel like you are working? Do you spend hours creating graphics only to lose track of time?
4. What gift, skill, or talent do you have that everyone around you asks you about? Can you stitch up the most amazing costumes that get raves from all the other moms?

Experts are a few steps ahead of the ones they are coaching or teaching. Don’t compare yourself to those who are successful and ahead of you. Look at how far ahead or more knowledgeable you are from someone just starting out, or who just fell into this problem.

Here are some examples to get you thinking about what you’re an expert in.

• You’ve lost 30 pounds and have been able to keep it off for an x number of years with a consistent fitness routine. You are a Fitness expert.
• You’ve been dealing with diabetes or some other health condition that’s forced you to have a strict diet. You have a gazillion recipes that work. You are a Nutrition expert.
• You’ve perfected your daily meditation after months/years of practice. You are a Mindfulness expert.
• You’ve created a way to manifest your dreams in a unique way. You’re a Manifestation expert.
• You have changed your mindset about money and are building a financial empire for yourself. You are a Money Mindset expert.
• You’ve busted through $200,000 in debt and now live a debt free life. You are a Budget Expert.
• You’ve built a business (or 2 or 3) with phenomenal sales growth and hired a team of employees. You are a Business expert.
• You’ve sold real estate for a long time and have flipped houses and studied the market. You’re a Real Estate expert.
• You’ve given away or disposed of all your unnecessary stuff. You are a Minimalist expert.
• You’ve been successfully and happily married for 25 years. You’re a Couple Relationship expert.
• You have or are developing skills at parenting that has resulted in some well-adjusted kids? Do you love helping new parents when they ask for your opinion? You are a Parenting expert.

Each of these is the basis for a high-level coaching program that can change someone else’s life. And each of these are as unique as the person who experienced it.

The post Are You an Expert? first appeared on Coaches Coach.

Assurance

Therefore it is imperative to build one’s on self confidence within one’s self and only then the individual can be confident in other things. Waiting for outside approval in every aspect in the individual’s life is not only an unhealthy way to exist but also causes the individual to lose sight of his or own self value and thought process. Allowing the mindset that endorses the thought process that only places importance on what other people think is not the way to build self confidence.

One way of building self confidence is by acknowledging the uniqueness of the individual and all the good and positive elements that are part of the uniqueness. When this is recognized the self confidence gained is almost always unshakeable, and therefore any suggestions or styles put forth will encounter less resistance and may even be taken as absolute.

In giving the best one can give to any endeavor, and in knowing that to be a fact the self confidence element allows for the margin to accept the results even if it is less than satisfactory. This in turn encourages both the individual and the coach to freely exercise creativeness in trying to achieve the best results.

When self confidence is built in both parties another positive outcome would be perseverance. Because of the comfortable relationship fostered through the self confidence element, the ability to move on and continue to persevere in spite of existing problems and obstacles is clearly evident.

The post Self Confidence in a Coach first appeared on Coaches Coach.

Inspiration

Being highly qualified or knowledgeable in a certain field does not ensure success as there is always the very real possibility of the initial enthusiasm fading or frustration setting in. Motivation is always a good tool to use when wanting to achieve a desired result.

Finding each individual’s motivation technique and using it to encourage higher and consistent levels of achievement is not only an advantage to tap into but also a prerequisite for success. These motivation techniques can take on many different forms as it varies from individual to individual.

Some people are motivated by visual effects. If this is the case having a lot of visual aids surrounding the individual would help him or her be able to “see” in their minds eye the finished product of what they are actually working on or towards. In being able to visualize the end product the individual is able to keep their focus and attention levels at a constant optimum level.

Some people are motivated by the freedom element. The goal of the possibility of achieving total freedom is what keeps them motivated to strive for success. Freedom in mapping out the desired destiny can bring on unknown reserves of zest and hunger which is a powerful motivation tool.

Strangely some people are motivated by failure. Having said this, it is not wise to try to fail in order to succeed. The motivation strength that is gained but the strong desire to overcome the failure is another way to tap into the unimaginable possibilities every individual possess.

The post Motivation elements for a Coach first appeared on Coaches Coach.

Many steps are usually recommended and used for this purpose, however the most important step would be the tracking style used to monitor the progress of the endeavor in question.

Tracking the progress of a particular project ensures many things are followed like staying focused; the efficiency of the tools used, the general moral of those involved, balancing the various aspects when put together and so on.

Keep Track

The tracking progress in very important in ensuring the endeavor is completed successfully and with the best results attained. This also ensure the visibility of the project at hand is seen and felt which in turn reassures all concerned that  gratification and satisfaction can be and is present to keep the motivation levels high.

The tracking progress also allows for the methods and tools originally chosen to be re thought or changed altogether, if they are not proving to be of assistance so as not to jeopardize the general outcome of the project. By doing this the tracking system also creates the possibility of using other more innovative methods to ensure the project stays on track.

Sometimes having visible tracking charts help all those involved to have a clearer picture of the progress and it also encourages everyone to work hard to ensure the timelines and quality of work is sustained.

Tracking progress also helps those participating to contribute mentally to further compliment any ongoing methods used. When new and innovative methods can be used to enhance the progress and quality of the project at hand the advantages both physical and mental are huge.

For the individual suggesting the change and having it adopted, the corresponding feeling of acceptance and respect will translate to an even stronger desire to succeed.

The post Tracking Progress first appeared on Coaches Coach.

Goals

Some of the more important considerations to focus on are actual specific goal outlines, intended goal results, timelines, individuals involved, and others.

Probably the first step to consider when embarking on the journey of how to plan a goal is the actual mental picture of the said goal being transformed into something more tangible like a suggested system that will be used.

The next step would be to put this outline into an acceptable and understandable productive system. In doing so the various objectives and tasks can be allocated and assigned accordingly.

When this is done the coach will teach on how to empower each member of the team linked to the project. By recognizing each individual’s talents and potential contributions the coach helps to teach the best ways to create, organize, and allocate tasks that are suitable and doable for everyone.

All through this exercise the important element of “listening” to inputs and outputs of everyone is important to ensure a good and balanced working relationship and environment.

When teaching goal planning, another important step to consider is the seriousness of the timelines set. These timelines should be very realistic and without too much unnecessary pressure.

Planning for daily and weekly deadlines will ensure the overall progress stays on track and the possible problems can be addressed immediately and efficiently.

Goal planning also requires the correct “tools” to be identified and used for the success of the intended project. Teaching this is part of ensuring the success of the project because without the proper “tools” to assist those involved may not be able to function adequately and professionally, thus jeopardizing the overall success of the project.

The post GoalSetting for a Coach first appeared on Coaches Coach.

Boost People

When wise counsel or direction is sought, the function of a good coach is to work towards making all concerned realize their potential and possibilities that may not be apparent at the time.

Encouraging each individual to focus deeply and draw from their inborn talents allows for the possibilities of discovering qualities that were unknown and untapped.

Sometimes the coach needs to take the extra step to firmly suggest or encourage the individual to mentally “force” themselves to try something new. Imparting the mind set of “nothing ventured = nothing gained” may be the very tool that is needed to steer the individual into mustering enough courage to try.

Most people are afraid to even try because they are either convinced they can’t do what is required or they are convinced that the exercise would be futile, thus the role of a coach it to teach the individual ways to overcome these type of thought processes.

Coaches also need to be aware of the importance of understanding the character and behavioral traits of those seeking these services. As a coach understanding the vital role a character trait or style plays in a project allows the coach to either use it to the advantage of gaining the success needed or allows the coach to work towards making it understood that the said character trait or style needs to be changed.

The end goal should ideally be the success in attaining the efficient personal operating levels when participating in team work or individual project which in turn should be shown in the successful completion of any endeavor.

The post Bring out the Best Qualities first appeared on Coaches Coach.

As a coach and as a participant on the receiving end, this vital practice of being a good listener enables both parties to reach and achieve phenomenal progress and results in any foray. Really listening is the key to understanding and tapping into the resources in individual or a group has to offer. Also by stopping to listen and take into consideration each point put forth, the respect levels on both parties is heightened and evident.

True leadership qualities can be built when the true character and behavior assessments are made clearly. However in order to do this all the facts need to be clear and available thus the ability to develop the patience to stop and listen before any judgment is made are taught in good coaching and empowering sessions.

Listening in order to understand and get the full “picture” on an idea is very important and it also ensure the right or relevant practices are put into action. Not having the correct information and not listening to all possible information may cause the wrong decisions to be made and in turn have detrimental effects. By listening one also ensures proper evaluations are done on the various aspects of a particular project.

Teaching the art of listening also helps to give each individual the confidence to verbalize anything either negative or positive to ensure the success of the team or individual success of a project. This also allows for the conducive environment where everyone is able to give their own individual view to contribute to the success of the project without the fear of being sidelined or ridiculed.

The post Listening first appeared on Coaches Coach.