How can you motivate clients when solving tough problems?

You can't! As a world class coach you can only create the safe space for the participant to be inspired to become motivated and to stay that way by the level of your coaching expertise.

We can't deal with something we don't recognise. And to recognise we must have access to it, which means allow ourselves to acknowledge our feelings. What we resist persists, so to move on from it we must first accept it. We usually try to fight, reject or hide our emotions, sapping us of the energy we would otherwise need to deal with the situation constructively and positively. Once the emotion is acknowledged, we can then channel it in a way that best serves us, the other and the situation at hand

Being accepted is what is the basic human need. Acceptance of emotions is the first step to be in rapport with the client which gives them assurance that they are being heard and not judged.

Bring them to a confidence that every problem has a solution. Then break down the bigger problem into smaller chunks and address each task step by step. Acknowledge and celebrate small wins along the way. Offer support, resources and regular check-ins along the way. My two cents...

ChatGPT Acknowledging the emotion is the first step to overcoming the "problem." We have to accept both good and bad feelings. I prefer to reach a stoic level of emotions. That's when you can proceed best. Anyway, if you are confronted with negative emotions, sit them out, reflect on them—they want to show you something.

ChatGPT The most important thing is not to see it as a "problem." It is an obstacle, and obstacles are here to overcome. We are all confronted with obstacles. We have to change our perspective and see it as an opportunity to grow. By overcoming the obstacle, we grow, and we are a few steps closer to our goal.

Parrot phrasing, para phrasing and reframing are different ways to let people know what they are thinking. Sometimes they are so engrossed with the feeling/emotion that they are not able to see bigger picture or what really matters to them. Application of Meta frames may also help to let them identify their beliefs and values which reduces the struggle of choice to be exercised from the ocean of solutions possible.

Firstly, the coachee problem is as tough, as we see it. We can help the client frame that problem in another way, for example, as an opportunity to grow or to learn. This framing will put the client at ease and release some tension, which helps to get into a resourceful state, and eventually, our client will come up with the best solution.

Big goals seem much easier to reach when broken down into smaller steps. Help your client map out what needs to be done, and keep asking "what else" or "what next" to break each item down further. By getting to the smallest task, you create opportunity to build momentum for the client as they gradually complete items. Understanding motivations and connecting each step to the larger goal are important to keeping this momentum. While each step may seem small, they build that continued progression towards overall completion. Use this to remind the client of their overall goal when a small step seem tough.

We tend to make the problem bigger than it is. We should not only break it down into smaller steps but also make sure to focus on the goal. However, solving the problem is a task. That's why we have to learn the skill of "problem-solving." Acknowledge the problem, visualize the problem, prioritize the tasks you need to do to solve the problem, and make a plan. By overcoming this obstacle, you gain confidence and improve your skills.

It is the most tested and trusted method for dealing with anxiety and overwhelming feelings. Instead of seeing the whole staircase, focus on just the next step. It also helps bypass Amygdala in our brain, which is responsible for these not so feel good emotions. The key is to make the actionable step so small that it becomes a child play to execute.

To create a consistent and sustainable change there should be momentum, which is crucial to overcome resistance to change. Most of the time people get overly excited about their goals and try to achieve them fast and then find themselves disappointed. Our clients must make sure that steps are small enough to be failed proofed to be done. Otherwise, we risk overdoing it and not finding the results we want.

Many high performing clients are constantly pushing forward towards bigger achievements and targets. They forget how much they’ve already achieved. Taking stock of previous successes helps to regain trust in self that they can do it and that they always find a way.

Defining what the success would look like will help get the smaller steps to achieve one by one and plotting it visibly in a graph or any other method will boost the confidence and the celebration of achievement will be more convincing and serve as a booster to achieve the remaining steps.

At the end of the client session, I would like to review the brainstorming we did and discuss the decisions and possible steps we came up with to get into "The Go-Getter Mood". It is crucial to challenge the client to put the solution we found into action. I will be specific in asking when and where certain steps will be executed and what else the client needs to be accountable for to make it happen. This approach will help create motivation and actual accountability for implementing the necessary steps.

To be motivated to solve tough problems, these little techniques that may sound trivial are in fact powerful in shifting the mind. Power poses, sitting upright, 5 minutes of deep breathing, a quick walk in the park or a few jumping jacks has an impact on how we feel therefore how we approach the problem with a fresh attitude and perspective.

Motivation is a feeling. And just about anyone could inspire another person through motivating thoughts that would produce such a feeling. In order for a person to sustain motivation we have to address the root of who they are. My approach is different in that I believe we are all spiritual beings having a physical experience. The only problem here then is in remembering the truth of who you really are and what you are really here to do. Whatever the tough problem is, there is an answer. And if you believe you can receive the answer and do the tasks associated with it, then motivation will come. Motivation is a natural byproduct of you remembering the truth that you are an all-powerful, all-knowing, God-like being.