IAC Mastery 4

IAC Learning Guide for Coaching Mastery 4

#4 Processing in the present

Definition

Focus full attention on the client, processing information at the level of the mind, body, heart and/or spirit, as appropriate. The coach expands the client’s awareness of how to experience thoughts and issues on these various levels, when and as appropriate. The coach utilizes what is happening in the session itself (client’s behavior, patterns, emotions, and the relationship between coach and client, etc.) to assist the client toward greater self-awareness and positive, appropriate action.

Effect

1. The client is free to express and engage with present reality.
2. The client is unencumbered by past or future preoccupations or concerns.
3. The client benefits from coaching insight and support on all levels.
4. The coach is highly attuned to subtle communications from the client.

Key Elements

1. The coach is aware of the dynamics occurring within the session, within the client, and between coach and client, and understands how the dynamics are affecting the client and the coaching.
2. The coach has a simultaneous and holistic awareness of the client’s communications at all levels.
3. The coach is able to discern whether the client is communicating from the past, present or future.
4. The coach allows the client the opportunity to process and clarify the coach’s questions and comments.
5. The coach allows the client the opportunity to process his or her own thoughts and responses.

Distinctions
  • responses from awareness vs. conditioned reactions
  • here and now vs. past or future
  • attuned vs. alert
Effective Behaviors

The coach:
1. Uses what is happening in the session, or between coach and client, as an opportunity for learning and discovery.
2. Shares what the coach is noticing, realizing, or feeling when it could serve the client.
3. Remains open to the client’s perspective.
4. Maintains connection while noticing themes and patterns.
5. Asks questions and offers observations at different levels, as appropriate.
6. Provides moments of silence for the benefit of both the client and coach to check in for more subtle ways of knowing.
7. Checks in with the client about thoughts, feelings and intuition.
8. Checks in with the client about what the client is feeling in his or her body, if appropriate to that client.
9. Expands the client’s awareness of different levels of knowing.
10. Shares intuitions and theories with lightness.
11. Offers the client possible ways to explore “inner knowing” and how to use the body as a source of wisdom and a touchstone for making decisions.
12. Interrupts to refocus the client when appropriate (for example, when the client is caught up in telling a story or the client is talking about unrelated issues).

Ineffective Behaviors

The coach:
1. Does not engage with the client at the level at which the client needs coaching.
2. Shares something that obviously is not relevant or is counter-productive.
3. Pushes the coach’s own point of view or agenda.
4. Does not recognize or address counter-productive behaviors when they occur during the coaching session.
5. Does not address key behavioral patterns of thought, behavior or expression as they occur during the session.
6. Is not aware of how the coach’s own behavior is affecting the coaching or the client.

Measures

1. The coach demonstrates awareness of the client’s expression on multiple levels, as appropriate.
2. The coach remains light and enjoys the coaching process.
3. The coach and client allow valuable moments of quiet during the coaching conversation.
4. The coach is mindful of the client’s agenda and needs.
5. The coach helps the client to determine and express his or her own point of view at different levels of mind, body, and spirit, as appropriate.
6. The coach shares his or her point of view without attempting to persuade the client to adopt that viewpoint.
7. The coach models for the client the value of expanding his or her levels of awareness as appropriate.
8. The coach helps the client engage with present reality, what is happening in the moment.
9. The coach effectively uses the coaching relationship, and the session itself, as a coaching tool.

Common Mistakes Coaches Make - Ignoring or not noticing the client’s hesitation, enthusiasm, disinterest, etc.
- Not noticing how the client is experiencing the coaching.
- Being afraid to address the client’s emotions.
- Letting the client ramble and/or jump from topic to topic without addressing it or helping the client refocus.
- Focusing only on future goals and actions, ignoring the present.
- Missing clues the client drops, sometimes in the form of off-hand or casual comments.
- Not noticing when the client brings something up several times within a session, or over several sessions.
- Not recognizing the coach’s own counter-productive behaviors (such as interrupting, verbal tics, etc.).
Indicators the Coach Understands the Mastery - The coach realizes this mastery creates profound shifts because it allows the coach and client to get to the core of what is really holding back and/or supporting the client.
- The coach is comfortable addressing the client’s emotions as indicators of the client’s efforts, alignment with goals, and a source of information.
- The coach helps the client move from talking about what happened, to identifying the present meaning of it and how the client may use this meaning.
- The coach recognizes the coaching relationship is often a mirror for other areas of the client’s life – a microcosm of what occurs elsewhere – and uses this as a coaching tool.
- The coach is aware that when the client is avoiding, resisting, or deflecting, it is an indication there is something going on for the client, or something going on between the coach and client.
- The coach adapts the coaching style, energy, or communication to support what is needed by the client in the moment.
- The coach is willing to “check in” with the client about the content or direction of the coaching.
- The coach trusts the coaching process.
Definition

The coach is attentive to the client, processing information at the level of the mind, body, heart and/or spirit, as appropriate. The coach expands the client's awareness of how to experience thoughts and issues on these various levels, when and as appropriate.

Effect

1. The client is free to express and engage with present reality.
2. The client is unencumbered by past or future preoccupations or concerns.
3. The client benefits from coaching insight and support on all levels.
4. The coach is highly attuned to subtle communications from the client.

Key Elements

1. The coach has a simultaneous and holistic awareness of the client’s communications at all levels.
2. The coach is able to discern whether the client is communicating from the past, present or future.
3. The coach allows the client the opportunity to process and clarify the coach’s questions and comments.
4. The coach allows the client the opportunity to process his or her own thoughts and responses.

Distinctions
  • responses from awareness vs. Conditioned reactions
  • here and now vs. past or future
  • attuned vs. alert
Effective Behaviors

The coach:
1. Shares what he/she is noticing, realizing, or feeling when it could serve the client.
2. Remains open to the client’s perspective.
3. Maintains connection while noticing themes and patterns.
4. Asks questions and offers observations at the different levels, as appropriate.
5. Provides moments of silence for the benefit of both the client and coach to check in for more subtle ways of knowing.
6. Checks in with the client about his or her thoughts, feelings and intuition.
7. Checks in with the client about what he/she is feeling in his or her body, if appropriate to that client.
8. Expands the client’s awareness of the different levels.
9. Shares intuitions and theories with lightness.
10. Offers the client possible ways to explore his or her “inner knowing” and how to use the body as a source of wisdom and a touchstone for making decisions.
11. Interrupts to refocus the client when appropriate (for example, client is caught up in a storyor talking about unrelated issues)

Ineffective Behaviors

The coach:
1. Does not engage with the client at the level at which the client needs coaching.
2. Shares something that obviously is not relevant or is counterproductive.
3. Pushes his/her own point of view or agenda.
4. Does not recognize or address counterproductive behaviors when they occur during the coaching session.

Measures

1. The coach demonstrates awareness of the client’s expression on multiple levels, as appropriate.
2. The coach remains light and enjoys the coaching process.
3. The coach and client enjoy and value moments of quiet during the coaching conversation.
4. The coach is mindful of the client’s agenda and needs.
5. The coach helps the client to determine and express his or her own point of view at different levels of mind, body, and spirit, as appropriate.
6. The coach shares his or her point of view without attempting to persuade the client to adopt that viewpoint.
7. The coach models for the client the value of expanding his or her levels of awareness as appropriate.

© 2007 International Association of Coaching.
All use, reproduction, distribution and modification of these materials is subject to the terms and conditions of the license available at www.certifiedcoach.org/license