May 6th is International Coaching Day
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is hosting an inaugural International Coaching Day celebration.
During this 24-hour period, the ICF has challenged each and every ICF coach worldwide to donate an hour of coaching to someone in their community.
My estimate is that this project will be generating millions of dollars of pro-bono professional services value to our economy.
I’m excited to be a part of it.
In this article, I’ll be discussing:
-Why coaching is a life-changing experience
-How coaches modify their coaching style based on client personality
-Who I’ve chosen to receive pro bono coaching from me
Why coaching is a life-changing experience
Working with a qualified coach can completely change the trajectory of one’s life. One example is a client who experienced what I’d call a brief intervention (6-8 weeks) that allowed her to lose a significant amount of weight. This progress on achieving her health goals allowed her to gain confidence and get on a positive trajectory so that she could move forward in a positive way in other areas of her life. While I personally don’t focus much these days on exclusive health coaching (nor do I diagnose or treat- only a qualified licensed healthcare practitioner does this), I do believe that incorporating a holistic approach to life success is absolutely important.
What do the statistics on coaching say about its effectiveness? Research from 296 industry professionals in 34 countries, who either had received or were currently receiving coaching, shows that coaching works in allowing individuals to achieve greater success towards goals (Carter, 2017).
Coaching can be extremely powerful because it focuses on solutions (a good coach does not encourage the client to dwell on the problems and/or “stories” for too long) and can provide immediate results. The impact of coaching is based on the idea that coaches focus on the solutions and strengths of a situation/individual/organization, instead of only looking back. Recent research done by one of my favorite journalists Michael Pollan shows the enormous benefits that “quieting” the Default Mode Network of the brain (the part of the brain that ruminates on the past and worries negatively about the future) in achieving greater peace in life (Pollan, 2018). When you hire a coach, I’d suggest asking about their own practices of mindfulness and meditation (as the client is affected by the state of the coach, as suggested by the entanglement principle of quantum physics). Some coaches can help you to build in time on your own schedule to keep to a meditation/mindfulness practice. Feel like you’re too busy? I love the saying (roughly paraphrased): “A 20-minute daily meditation practice is highly recommended. When you’re extremely busy… 60 minutes is best”.
Coaching can allow us to focus on the future but with a sense of empowerment and a sense of direction. A key concept around coaching is that coaches do not intend to provide the answer unilaterally as an expert, but the coach co-creates the solutions by having faith in a process that allows the client to discover and uncover the best next steps for a full, productive life.
How coaches modify their coaching style based on client personality
There are certainly many ways that coaches adapt their coaching style to the personality traits of a client. Some coaches combine (carefully!) psychology and business expertise. A few examples of coaches I’ll tip my hat to include Dave Kruger, MD, John Reed, and many of my colleagues in the world of Brainspotting (see Resources and links below). When looking for a coach, ask where she received her training from, as the various schools have different philosophies, tools, and methodologies. I received my coach training from the Center for Coaching Certification and the Human Potential Institue, and the differences in these two schools, both ICF-approved, were significant. Knowing a bit about the training background of the coach you plan to hire will help you to make the most of the coaching agreement and will form a basis for how they adapt their style to your needs as a client.
The Center for Coaching Certification taught me a unique framework for modifying my approach to a client by assessing whether a client was driven primarily by logic or emotion and acted in either a passive or aggressive manner. None of these terms are good or bad and serve only as guidelines. The combination of these characteristics forms a matrix where a client lands in one of the following four broad personality categories:
Pleaser (Emotional and Passive)
Celebrator (Emotional and Aggressive)
Investigator (Logical and Passive)
Achiever (Logical and Aggressive)
This two-by-two matrix sounds simplistic as a means for determining client personality, but I find that knowing where a person falls (roughly) helps tremendously to adapt my coaching style and be highly present for a client.
In the case of a pleaser, I practice being quiet to simply listen. Pleasers need time to think and room to make their next decision. I allow him the space to express his emotional responses to ideas and possibilities. I encourage this client to tell me all about his ups and downs. I ensure that he feels valued because of his sensitivity and desire for reassurance.
For a celebrator, I allow the client to get on a roll and run with it. Celebrators are excited to give me the updates, and our coaching calls are typically fast-paced. She enjoys exploring feelings and strong opinions. This client is extremely creative, passionate, and adventurous. I may assist with prioritization (without being boring or robotic, which celebrators don’t like!). I make sure not to give her excessive details that seem overly logic-driven. Overall, I guide this client to focus on one thing at a time, so she can accomplish things and have mini celebrations all along her journey.
In the case of an Achiever, I also let him run with his ideas while actively listening. This client has done all the research and knows all the facts, has all the details, and is focused on tasks, planning, and results. There is not a lot of emotion here, and I can be present to guide him to “get it done”. This client is self-directed and might not feel like he needs a lot of help. He is decisive but can potentially act too fast. Often this client gains a lot by slowing down to ponder the details, perhaps participating in some somatic (body-based) work to get a sense of great productivity while also experiencing ease and flow.
For an Investigator, I quietly allow her to communicate her thoughts, which are inevitably extremely interesting. Investigators have an incredible organization of ideas, interest in planning, and attention to detail. This client is a “dreamer”. As her guide, I can assist by collaborating to get the dreams out of her head and into the world. I ensure that this client does not get stuck in “analysis paralysis” and still give her time and space to think and be. I allow her time for in-depth thinking, and we set dates with a timeline that gives spaciousness to attend to those details.
The goal, of course, is to have happy and productive clients. I am thrilled to say that I am honored to work with exactly these types of people and groups.
Who I’ve chosen to receive pro bono coaching from me
I coach both individuals and organizations/companies, and I enjoy my work immensely doing both. In honor of International Coaching Day, I’ve donated several pro bono coaching hours to the launch of a spectacular new business in neuroscience and wellness. Psytech Biosciences, the dream-child of Neurofeedback and Biofeedback experts Santiago Brand and Linda Walker, is set to change the way that we interact with wellness and the brain-body system. Stay tuned for more information about this wonderful company and some of the online educational opportunities they will be offering to improve brain-body health, especially during the COVID19 pandemic.
Resources and Links:
Center for Coaching Certification
International Coaching Federation Coaching Day
Interview with Dave Krueger, MD
Interviews with dozens of other Brainspotting professionals
References:
Carter, A., Blackman, A., Hicks, B., Williams, M., & Hay, R. (2017). Perspectives on effective coaching by those who have been coached: Coachee perspectives on effective coaching. International Journal of Training and Development, 21(2), 73-91. doi:10.1111/ijtd.12098
Pollan, M. (2018). How to change your mind: What the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, depression, and transcendence. New York, NY: Penguin Press.