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Ah! I haven’t written about Client B since Session 7! Guess I fell off the wagon with that one.
Well, I think that this post is going to feel similar from the last one, as the more I coach the more excited I am to make coaching my career. I will never forget Client B saying to me, during our first session, “Well, the reason I’m here is because it’s a requirement for graduation.” What do I do with THAT?! I thought I was heading for 11 more sessions of not being open, not questioning, just….being there.
Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Client B is someone who takes the bull by the horns, listens to her body and her mind, questions her actions and motivation and is ALWAYS looking for the next hurdle to jump. We were never at a lack for anything to work through, and for someone without a clear picture of why she was there, she accomplished so, so much – I can’t wait to see where she eventually lands. I hope she keeps listening to her heart and not the voices in her head telling her what she HAS to do.
In her response form, and in our sessions, she expressed how much our sessions enthused her and how fun they were. I’m so glad that I was able to help her be inspired, and to move forward, and to show her a new way to coach.
Between my 2 clients and the session I had in class yesterday, I feel like I really, truly know what I bring to the table as a coach. I absolutely can not wait to build my “dream life” by being myself and doing what I love.
I am STILL flying high from this class almost 2 days later! I got to coach a fellow student for about 20 minutes on an extremely significant topic. Without divulging much, here is a snippet of the dialogue:
Me: “So, what is the worst thing that could happen?” (We’re taught to ask this question to help lighten the situation)
Client: “Well, my father could kill himself or someone else.”
Um….OK. Fun stuff! But what was so exciting was that, when the client explained her challenge, my heart sunk and my brain started rambling. How am I going to deal with something so heavy? Thankfully I was able to push that out after only a few moments, and exhaled the pressure I was putting on myself to “fix this.” Instead, I focused on listening and asking questions. When I did have an idea for the client, I asked for permission to throw it out there. And then I got the lightbulb moment, and that was gold for me. Man, that was amazing. To start out REALLY not knowing where you’re going, and to have the client not only get there, but become enthused, confident, and considerably lighter – in just 20 minutes! This class ended at 11p and it took me almost an hour to come down enough to consider going to sleep. This is why I got into coaching, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t become a thriving business!!
I wanted to post the feedback I got from the class & Prabha here so I can always come back to it. My strengths during this sessions were:
*listening * validation * clarity * keeping the session from getting emotional * asking questions
* mirroring statements * walked alongside the clients * kept it light *a-ha moment
* broke this big task down into smaller pieces for the client
I also loved the student that showed me what would make a great game for the client, as I’d love to work this tool into my sessions.
Yay!
*
Today I’m grateful for soft pajamas.
This class was helpful because I got to receive feedback on my coaching model. I think I figured out (finally) how to attach something, so here it is:
OK I’m not too sure that worked. Why is WordPress so finicky?
Anyway, it was great to hear a fellow student say that my model was one of the few she saw before she worked on hers, and she loved the energy & the colors that were used. The class thought that the model was very representative of my style, and I also got compliments on my business name!
The main point I’ll take away from this class, though, was that it’s not just for the coach to use themselves or to inform the client how the sessions will look. It could also be used for the client to hold the coach accountable! I never saw it that way, and it’s a great perspective.
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