Life Unlimited

On my last coaching call, the discussion was focused on reframing.  This has to be my favourite tool for coaching.  In my experience, when I have used reframing with a client to help them see their situation from a perspective that they have not considered, it is very powerful.  This alone can give them the encouragement, confidence, and renewed commitment to a worthwhile goal.  I personally get a charge at seeing a client have that aha! moment where they have been able to get unstuck in their thinking about a challenge in their life, simply by seeing the situation from another viewpoint.  I have found that it’s effective to ask simple questions like “how could you see this differently”? Or, “what would happen if you saw your situation this way – what would you do that you are not doing now?”  It’s a process I find I must be committed to taking the client through and active listening is a big part of it.    There is usually other work to be done but reframing an experience or challenge can be the first step in overcoming any blocks to achieving a goal.

The last ICA class I participated in was about getting clients into action.  The conversation focused on using goal setting to propel a client to take the necessary steps to move them toward the results they are looking for in their life.  What struck me most, which I apply in my own coaching process, is the impact of helping the client get clear about their strengths prior to setting goals and action plans.  When my client is clear and I’m clear about what their strengths are, what has served them before in succeeding to change something in their lives, what their instinctive natural approach is to problem solving, this can inform the decisions about how to take action that will give them the best chance at achieving what they want.  The more wins they have, the more motivated they will  be to continue, and the more momentum they will build.  This has really reinforced the need to use this in my coaching.  I’ve seen it work and I’ve heard other coaches describe how effective it is to do this up front.  It helps set clients up for success, or at least to know themselves better, which can impact a number of areas of their lives, not just the issues they want addressed through coaching.   I use a couple of tools for this, and will continue to do so as part of my process.