Monthly Archives: June 2018

How do you deal with “I don’t know” as an answer to a coaching question? 2

28 June 2018 in Coaching tagged clients / coaching / Coaching answers / I don’t know / questions

To represent I don't know there is a question mark and an exlaimation mark written in what looks like a red tomato type sauce on a white background.

How do you deal with “I don’t know” as an answer to a coaching question?

by Jen Waller

Have you ever asked a question during a coaching session and been met with the reply “I don’t know”? I suspect most coaches have lost count of the number of times this has happened. “I don’t know” is a perfectly valid answer to so many questions. I’ve also seen some who are new to coaching find the thought of getting that answer really unsettling. So today’s post is all about getting “I don’t know” as an answer.

So let’s explore some of what could be going on when you get that answer to a question.

1) Your client doesn’t actually know the answer.

For example, you find yourself coaching Joy, who works in a large corporation. Her aim for the coaching session is to find a solution to a problem with a project at work that’s currently stuck on a technical issue. You ask the question “Who in the business would have the technical knowledge to help with this?”
It’s quite possible that Joy does not know who would have this technical knowledge. In which case you may then choose to question how to get that information.

2) Your client doesn’t understand the question.

This may be because the question used a term that may be familiar in certain job roles, companies or even on a bigger scale countries but isn’t a term that your client uses.

This can also happen if you are talking about something that may have a slightly different meaning to each individual – concepts and feelings often fall into these situation. For example, it may be what one person describes as confidence another thinks of as verging on arrogance. Or perhaps if you specialise in working with students you’ll discover that different students have different ideas about what “revision” means to them.

3) It’s a question that your client hasn’t considered before and needs time to find the answer

There is nothing wrong with allowing a client the time and space to find the answer. Silence really can be OK as a client considers something new. How long that silence lasts really will depend upon what new insights, calculations and general figuring out the client is doing for themselves. I suggest all you have to do as a coach is keep out of the way and wait until your client has finished “processing” that new thought/idea.

4) The client has “given up” trying to find the answer to that and is so used to not having an answer that it’s an automatic response without considering it again.

How you respond to this will depend a lot upon many things including your own natural coaching style, your coaching approach, the established relationship with your client.
Many coaches will respond to this in one of 4 ways:
i) challenging directly
ii) Finding a way to approach the situation from a different perspective
iii) Deciding that it’s a question that isn’t important in the “bigger picture” of the work that you are doing with the client and moving on.
iv) Temporarily moving on and planning to revisit it at a later time.

5) Your client has some belief that is preventing them from exploring that possibility or speaking the answer out loud.

For example, Lets imagine you’re coaching Bob who has answered “I don’t know” to a “what do you want question”. You discover that Bob firstly believes that if he “admitted” his answer he would have to start work towards it. Further questioning shows that he would want to make more money but has a belief that to make money he would have to work many hours, lose his relationships with his loved ones and generally have no fun.

6) Your client has an expectation that every answer they give must be perfect and “correct.

Which means if they are not 100% certain they aren’t voicing the possibilities.

7) Your client doesn’t know where to start

If you’ve ever been confronted with a huge task and not known the best place to start, this is the same thing. You may have your own coaching approach that applies to this, personally I suggest the pick one part and we can work from there.

8) They think you’ll judge them for their answer

This generally happens when they’ve already judged themselves for something, usually negatively. They are afraid that you will agree with that judgement and confirm that judgement.

9) They don’t want to share the information with you

This may be more common in some situations than others. For example, if you are a manager coaching one of your team that you may find that there are certain elements that an employee may not want to share with your other role as their boss.

So is “I don’t know” a problem?

Personally, I don’t think it is. At this stage it’s worth also pointing out that you will find that, even on the questions the client feels are important, not every client will feel that not knowing an answer is an issue. All that answer is, is an indication of what’s happening for that client at that moment in time.

I’m often asked how to deal with the “I don’t know” as an answer. I find it’s common when I’m asked that it’s an alternative/expansion of the coach fearing not knowing what to do in a session. I shared last week 7 suggestions for what to do when you didn’t know what to do.

So here’s an extra couple of points to think about when you get an I don’t know answer.

Consider why you may have got an “I don’t know” as a response. As I listed some of the reasons why you may have got that answer you may have formed ideas about what you could do in each situation. I suspect that you will have seen that each scenario is likely to respond to a different approach.

If you find you get a lot of “I don’t know’s” that you consider is down to a client wanting to be 100% correct or because of fear of being judged, is there anything you can do at the start of your coaching relationship to minimise this. Perhaps you can set the expectation that there may be times when you ask questions when they will be encouraged to list all possibilities, not just ones that are correct and the client feels they’d actually take action about. Maybe it’s about reassuring that you’re not asking them to sign anything in stone or make lifetime commitments when exploring a topic.

I suspect that over time you will have found a version of the question – if you did know, what would the answer be? Personally I found that asking someone if you did know when a client has just said they didn’t can prompt an indignant response to the question rather than focusing upon answering the question. So my personal version is often “if you had to guess what would the answer be?”

Have I missed a reason that a client may say I don’t know? Add your comments below or email me directly here.

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

As an experienced coach and trainer Jen is happy to utilise all skills at her disposal to assist clients from getting out of their own way and making a difference in the world with their coaching. One of the aspects of her role Jen loves the most is seeing individuals find their voice, grow their confidence and take the next steps. This allows them to make a massive positive impact and difference with their coaching. (For more info about Jen’s coaching click here, including the From non-coach to coach discovery session) Jen has owned and run Coaching Confidence, the coaching blog since 2010.

In her spare time Jen is a volunteer for the UK based charity The Cinnamon Trust. This charity supports elderly and terminally ill pet owners to provide care for their pets. As a volunteer, Jen regularly walks dogs for owners who physically often find that more challenging then they once did. As a pet owner herself, Jen finds it really rewarding to be able to assist an owner stay with an animal that has become part of the family. (Plus it’s a great additional motivator when working from home to get out and get some fresh air and exercise)

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!

TED Talk Tuesday 26th June 2018

26 June 2018 in TED talk tagged listening / TED talk / William Ury

This week the clip chosen because of its potential interest to coaches is from an independent TEDx event. Negotiation expert William Ury focuses in an important and powerful communication skill in “The power of listening”

The power of listening | William Ury | TEDxSanDiego

Clip length: 15 mins 40 secs

Prefer to watch via YouTube? In that case you’ll need to click here.

7 things to do when you don’t know what to do next in a coaching session

21 June 2018 in Coaching tagged coaching / coaching questions / knowledge / skills

7 things to do when you don’t know what to do next in a coaching session

by Jen Waller

I often speak to those new to coaching who feel that as part of their preparation to coach in a coaching session they must have the entire session planned in advance.

The underlying fear behind this is often that without this they could get “stuck” mid-way through the session. They may find themselves at a point where they don’t know what to do next. Not having any idea what question to ask or an exercise etc that will move their client forward.

This often involves a whole imagined nightmare scenario of their client judging them for a lack of skill, knowledge, professionalism and all round unworthiness. Not to mention being fired immediately by the client and never having another client ever again!

For the record, I’ve never come across anyone who has experienced that imagined scenario in real life, though I’ve found plenty who are afraid of it happening. 😉

If this is a fear that you experience then let me say that you will probably find that the more coaching experience you get, the more techniques, strategies and skills you’ll gain. Which makes the prospect of getting stuck less and less likely.

I thought today it may be useful to share 7 steps of what to do if you find yourself “stuck” with what to do next during a coaching session.

1. Breathe!

Take a breathe and allow yourself to relax.

Often when a coach feels that they are in this situation their focus has turned inwards. Their attention is caught up with what’s going on in their own head. Usually thoughts are going at a thousand miles per hour and/or they are starting to panic about what you’ll do next.

None of that usually helps for inspiration to spark and creativity to flow.

It’s worth pointing out at this stage that it’s not outside the realms of possibility that your client is in a similar situation. So you may also become aware that your client could also benefit from taking a moment to slow down their thoughts and also take some time “out” to breathe.

2. Listen

With your full focus upon your client pay full attention to what they are saying. Watch out for the words that they are actually using and not any interpretation you may have added. There can sometimes be clues in the language they use which when you incorporate it into a question can produce powerful responses. As these questions are “tailored made” for the client you won’t find them written down in any coaching course material.

Also notice how someone says something. For example, if they are telling you about something they say they really want, how are they telling you? If they don’t “come alive” when they talk about it use it as a signal to explore more about what they are not saying.

3. Are you clear with what your client wants to get from the session?

Feel that your coaching session is heading in an aimless direction? It can be worth checking that you, and your client, are clear about what they wanted from the session.

Once you have that clarity ask yourself, and even your client, what will move them closer to achieving that session goal?

4. What is getting in your clients way?

Have you identified what’s stopping your client from moving forward? You don’t need to have shared this with your client if it’s not appropriate but if you can see the perceived “problem” then it is easier to identify a line of questioning/activity that will move through, around or over what is stopping them.

Sometimes it can be as simple as asking them to take action during the session. For example, if they’ve been putting off making an appointment to give a presentation you’ve established they are more than prepared for – pass them the phone and invite them to do it then and there. If the issue is more than not having prioritised making that appointment it’s likely to highlight what is getting in their way so you can identify the next step.

5. For your client to see something as a problem, what must a client believe to be true?

Sometimes what can cause a coach to be “stuck” is because a client is telling them about something the client thinks is a problem. However, the coach doesn’t perceive that as an issue so struggles to find an effective next step.
It can be worth asking yourself what a client must believe is true for that to appear a problem to them.

It can also be worth checking that this is actually a problem for them – sometimes a client will have “heard” and answered a different question to the one you actually asked. So it could be that the reason you can’t imagine how this is a problem is because it isn’t a problem!

6. Ask your client

You may not have an idea of the question that’s going to make the biggest difference right now but what about your client?

I’ve already mentioned above the possibility of asking your client what will move them closer to achieving the aim for this coaching session. But that’s not the only question you can ask.

The question “What question can I ask that will make the biggest difference right now?” firstly allows the client to dictate the direction of the session.
You’ll find that the slight change in asking them to think in a form of a question can be an additional stepping stone to leading to an answer that provides a big insight for the client. It can also be an indication for you as a coach the story that your client is telling themselves about this situation.

Another variation, along a similar theme is “What question do you hope I don’t ask you right now?”

7. Do something different

If what you are doing isn’t working then try a different approach.
In the previous point I mentioned getting the client to think of questions instead of just answering. It’s not the only change you can make though.

Perhaps you may want to ask your client to physically move, take the coaching conversation on the move by going for a walk, or just by swapping seats. In the right circumstances this can be enough to be a catalyst for a new perspective.

Maybe you want to introduce a “coaching exercise” that involves writing/drawing on paper instead of communicating mainly by talking. Alternatively, you may have a “technique” from a different and complimenting “discipline” that you can put into practice.

By doing something different you will move the coaching session into a new place, one where it can be easier to see the next step towards that session goal.

These are just 7 pointers, what else would you add?

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!

TED Talk Tuesday 19th June 2018

19 June 2018 in TED talk tagged Brian Marshall / cognitive coaching / questions / TED talk

This week the clip chosen because of its potential interest to coaches is from an independent TEDx event. Mr. Brian Marshall talks about cognitive coaching and gives real examples from his role within education.

What is Cognitive Coaching? | Brian Marshall | TEDxYouth@TCIS

Clip length: 18 mins 19 secs

Prefer to watch via YouTube? In that case you’ll need to click here.

How to set clients coaching “homework”

14 June 2018 in Coaching tagged action / clients / coaching / coaching assignments / coaching homework / coaching structure

How do you set your clients coaching homework?

How to set clients coaching homework

by Jen Waller

Clients taking some form of action after a coaching session is an expectation that most coaches and clients have about the process of coaching. Often this action, the coaching homework, has been agreed during the coaching session itself between the coach and the client.

Sometimes this action is suggested directly by the client and on other occasions it is the coach that sets the “homework”.

A question I see and hear from time to time is a variation of the question – how do you know what coaching homework to set your clients?

In today’s post I’m going to share some thoughts around this topic. Firstly, I’m going to draw attention to language and specifically the word “homework”. Some clients will be absolutely fine with using this terminology without it having any impact. For others, for whatever reason, you may find that referring to something as “homework” has negative connections and provokes resistance and reluctance towards the task.

You will know your niche and client best so you can decide if you wish to label these tasks with a different label or not use any at all. Purely for the ease of consistency I am going to use the label “homework” for this article. In “real life” coaching I personally usually tend towards using the labels assignment or actions.

As a coach there are usually 3 different ways of working with clients and setting coaching homework.

1) Following a set format for every single client
There are some coaches who follow the same process for each and every single one of their clients. They work on a principle that if it is session 2 then their client gets set coaching homework B. This can be particularly common if the context that the coaching is occurring within is not bespoke – for example following an online coaching program or in some group coaching situations.

2) Another way of working is to look at where each individual client is, what they are working on, and set a bespoke piece of homework just for that individual.

3) A third way is a mix of 1) and 2) above. You may have certain pieces of coaching homework that each and every client will be set and others that you will create which is bespoke just for them.

Perhaps you always set a specific piece of coaching homework between the initial conversation and the first official coaching session. After which all other homework is crafted just for that client.

Or maybe you have collected a series of possible coaching homework exercises that you have at your fingertips depending upon what you feel is appropriate for that client in that stage.

I’m sure that if you were to think about each approach you could see positive and negative points for each. You may already be aware of points from a marketing perspective, others from a customer service viewpoint etc. As always, my own personal opinion is that if whichever approach that you are using works for you and your clients than that is great!

But regardless of which approach you are using how do you create a piece of coaching homework?

I’ve already mentioned one approach I often use – I ask the client if there’s anything that’s already occurred to them. I do this for several reasons:

1) My approach to coaching allows clients to access their own inner knowledge and intelligence. So it’s entirely possible that they will already have a perfectly crafted action that will be ideally suited for this situation.

2) The chances are that if it’s occurred to them that they will go and take the action anyway. I want to check in and make sure that it’s an action that is in-line with what they are looking to achieve.

This can be particularly relevant if during the coaching conversation it’s become obvious that previously action has been taken based on a limiting belief, faulty piece of logic etc. I want to test and make sure that they are not then making the same “mistake” in a slightly different context

3) I am conscious of avoiding overwhelming clients with actions. The amount will usually vary depending upon the client but as a general rule my clients achieve more when they are not overwhelmed with tasks.

So how do I decide upon the coaching homework to set. If I’m honest my thought process is usually no more complicated than it’s what occurs to me given the session we’ve just completed. I’m also aware that such an answer would have been of little use when I was just starting out so let me offer some more.

Much of what I set as coaching homework is based around what the answers are to certain questions. The answers to those questions aid me to decide what exercise, task etc will be a great fit or to devise something on the spot that is a match.

Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, here are some of the aspects and questions to consider:

What is currently getting in the way of this client getting what they want?

What outcome do you want by setting this coaching homework? How will you know that outcome has been achieved?

What would move your client a step closer to what they want?

What’s going to make the biggest difference for your client?

What’s the easiest way for that outcome to be achieved?

What’s the most fun way to work towards that outcome?

What is going to appeal most to your client?

How willing is your client to do the suggested coaching homework?

Some of these questions I will already know the answer to based upon earlier work. Other questions I may ask the client whilst “setting the homework”.

It’s also worth noting at this stage that sometimes the coaching homework is actually not to do something – For example, taking a break from trying to figure something out can be a perfect “homework” in certain scenarios.

I invite you to pay attention to the questions you consider next time you set a client coaching homework. Feel free to share more questions and comment below…

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!

TED Talk Tuesday 12th June 2018

12 June 2018 in TED talk tagged creative thinking / creativity / Leslie McGuirk / mistakes / TED talk

This week the clip chosen because of its potential interest to coaches is from an independent TEDx event. Designer, illustrator, children’s book author and corporate speaker Leslie McGuirk talks about creative thinking in “The Importance of Being Wrong”

The Importance of Being Wrong | Leslie McGuirk | TEDxHollywood

Clip length: 10 mins 17 secs

Prefer to watch via YouTube? In that case you’ll need to click here.

Psychological Triggers To Convert Subscribers Into Coaching Clients

8 June 2018 in Guest Post tagged business / business building / client acquisition / clients / coaching / marketing / subscribers

In today’s guest post, Client Acquisition Strategist, Davis Lin focuses upon the popular question of how to get coaching clients, specifically looking at:

Psychological Triggers To Convert Subscribers Into Coaching Clients

by Davis Lin

Fotolia 121451562 XS and dropshadow

To turn your ideal clients, who do not yet know about you and your service, into paying clients for your coaching business, there are just two steps:

Step 1: Capture the attention of your ideal clients and get them as email subscribers
Step 2: Build a relationship with them, and turn them into coaching clients

Now that you have already gotten them as subscribers, you have already won half the battle. By now, they would already know what it is that you do, and you have also piqued their interests a little on how you can help them get the results they want.

The next step is to compound the value you give through your email sequence, and to do that you have to know how to pull the right psychological triggers to get them to sign up for your coaching.

As such, here are 4 psychological triggers you can start using today to turn your subscribers into paying coaching clients.

1. Make Problems Urgent

One of the most common concepts of human behaviours is that we are driven by the need to avoid pain and to gain pleasure. However often time, the desire to avoid pain is greater than trying to gain pleasure.

For example, I always wanted to go to the gym on a regular basis to help myself keep fit and look good, so I would set a regime to go to the gym at least two to three times a week. At first, I was able to stick to this regime for a couple of months. But as time went by, I found myself skipping gym more and more until I was only going just once a month.

However, just only a few months later, something happened that made me go to the gym every single day without fail. That was when I began to show symptoms that resemble those of diabetes. I started to fear I might actually have diabetes, and this fear led me to research everything I could on diabetes. Through my research, I found out that exercising would be the best way to lower the blood sugar and hence keep the disease at bay. Because of that, I started to go to gym again every single day without fail for a month, even when I didn’t know for sure that I had diabetes!

Fortunately, after several tests and doctor visits, I was relieved to know that I didn’t have diabetes at all. All of a sudden, the urgency to go to the gym every single day was no longer there. As you might have guessed it right, I went back to going to the gym only once or twice a month subsequently.

You see, the main reason why people come to you is because they have a problem they want to solve. However, not many people may realise the actual weight of their problem and the consequences of not resolving it. As such, they do not feel the urgent need to take action and get their problems solved immediately.

This is where you as the coach need to let them realise the weight and urgency of their problems. You do that by targeting and agitating the big pains they are going through, and highlighting the consequences of not having their problems solved.

For me, it was when I realised that I might have diabetes, and the possibility of me not being able to look after my family. The thought of that was so painful that it made me want to urgently do whatever I could to prevent it from happening.

This is also how you want to let your subscribers feel about their problems as well. So, understanding the exact pains and problems that your ideal clients are going through is important to get them to want to take action.

When they realise the urgency of their problems, and know that not resolving them will cause immense pain, it will compel them to seek a solution. And that’s where you come in.

2. Give Hope

Now, that you have agitated the pains your subscribers are going through, and have let them see that they need to take action, they now yearn for a solution.

It has been said that “when there is no vision, the people perish”. Even one of the most popular quotes in Star Wars is “Rebellions are built on hope”.

Hope is a very powerful emotion. This is why you want to give hope to your subscribers through a step-by-step solution that takes them from where they are right now, to where they want to be.

When you present your solution in a step-by-step fashion, it shows your ideal clients a clear roadmap to their destination, and it gets them excited with the idea of getting the results with your help and coaching.

It will also allow you to be seen as an expert with the knowledge and know-how to help them with their problems and guide them to where they want to be.

For example, if you are a career coach who helps stay-at-home mothers get back to the corporate world after many years, you can talk about the steps they can take to go from homemaker to a highly desirable job candidate for the job they want to apply.

By doing this, it gives clarity, confidence and hope to them that it is entirely possible to make it happen.

Hope is a strong motivating factor in making a buying decision. Because if we don’t first believe there is a possibility to get our problem solved, we would never engage the service of the coach.

3. Inspire With Proof

After showing them the step-by-step solution, you want to back it up with proof that it actually works. That is why social proof is an important element in getting your ideal clients to sign up for your coaching. In fact, it is one of the six principles of persuasion in Dr. Robert Cialdini’s book, Influence.

And the best way to do this is by sharing with them all the case studies and success stories of your previous clients. When you detail the case studies and success stories of your previous clients, it will let your subscribers see what is possible for them if they work with you.

The more detailed you are in the case studies, the more it can help your ideal clients relate with your past clients.

For example, if you are a relationship coach that helps people with their love life, you can talk about the problems that a past client went through, and how they eventually overcame them with your coaching. So, when people with very similar problems see what you had done for your past clients, it would give them the confidence that their problems can too be solved by working with you.

Furthermore, it holds more credibility and trust when the recommendation comes from other people, especially people who were once in a similar situation as them.

But what if you’re just starting out and don’t have any clients yet?

Then, what you can do is to show a case study of how you personally overcame a problem that many of your ideal clients are facing, and then show how you got to where you are now. It is equally powerful, if not more powerful, because it shows that you too have experienced the same problems as them and they would be able to relate more to you.

When you are able to show case studies, it inspires your ideal clients to see that if it’s possible for others who were once in a similar situation, then it’s possible for them as well. Because of that, it will get them compelled to get help from you.

4. Overcome Their Fears

Before people make any buying decision, it is common for them to have fears that they might not be making the right decision. This fear arises from unresolved concerns about your coaching offer. So, to help them overcome their fears, you need to adequately address their concerns and objections.

But first you need to understand what their concerns are. One simple way to find out is to ask them. Ask them what is holding them back from taking up your coaching offer. Make sure that you get them to tell you all the objections they have in mind.

The next step would be to address their objections one by one by reframing it. Reframing lets you to use what your potential clients have said to craft your response. This way, it makes it very hard for them to disagree with it.

So let’s say that one of the common objections that you get is that they are busy and don’t have the time for it. Then you can say that you have a coaching package that is specially designed for busy professionals and it only requires very little of their time – one hour each week for them to work with you ( Of course, this has to be true). Out of this one hour of their time, you then emphasize again how much value and benefits they can get from your coaching.

Once you have overcome these fears that the have in their mind, then there would be nothing holding them back from signing up with you.

Building Your Coaching Business For Long-Term Success

Too often, people want to get immediate results from their efforts. That means that if they have a subscriber today, they are hoping they would sign up for their coaching packages by tomorrow. And if that doesn’t happen, they give up on that subscriber and focus on getting more new subscribers, and they wonder why they are not getting more clients.

However, that approach would be too myopic because not everyone is ready at the same time. For example, I had a subscriber who signed up to my newsletter for a year before he became a paying client. When I asked him why it took him a year to join my coaching, he said that it’s because his situation just wasn’t right for him to engage my service at that point in time.

However, because I had continued to give him value each day even after a year, he eventually decided to take up my coaching when his situation allowed him to.

Had I instead just unsubscribed all those that have been on my list for more than a couple of months but never bought from me, then I would have missed the opportunity to get him on as a client.

Therefore, as much as we want our subscribers to become clients as quickly as possible, the fact is that not everyone is ready for your coaching when you want them to be. But if you approach your business with a long-term mindset and aim to nurture the relationship you have with them over time, then you will find that you will be able to sign on more clients from people who have been on your list for a long time.

About Davis Lin

davis profile pic 150 wide Davis Lin is a Client Acquisition Strategist and Founder of Client Acquisition Lab. He is very passionate about helping coaches and consultants upgrade and automate their client acquisition process, so they can spend more time doing what they do best – helping their clients, and still get more clients at the same time. To find out more, you can download his Client Acquisition Blueprint for FREE here.

The most popular quotes on Twitter in May 2018

6 June 2018 in popular twitter quotes tagged failure / no / questions / quotes

Most RT'd quotes last week on @thecoachingblog

The blog’s twitter account regularly shares quotes that are there to spark inspiration, provoke action and generally interest coaches. I haven’t done this for some time but here are the most popular quotes that the blogs twitter account tweeted during the month of May.

Tweet with the most interactions overall

“I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. Its because of them I’m doing it myself.”
(Albert Einstein)

Tweet with the most RT’s

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”
(Nido Qubein)

Tweet with the most favourite stars
There were two quotes which both got exactly the same number of favourite stars:

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
(Albert Einstein)

And

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be “nothing.”
(Aristotle)

I know many coaches like quotes and we also generally love questions so in no particular order I thought I’d share some questions prompted by these quotes. You’re welcome to share your answers below if you so desire but I’d love for you to actually take any relevant action that occurs to you from answering!

If it didn’t matter if someone said “no” what would you ask and from who?

If you were looking for questions and requests for a project you’re working on that got no’s instead of yes – what would those questions and requests be?

(A “no” as an answer is a perfectly valid response, the key is respecting that as the answer)

If this is the starting point, what’s the very first step?

What if you haven’t failed, you just have yet to find the solution?

What if it was OK to “fail”? What would you be doing?

When will you know it’s time to stop?

What would happen if you did “nothing”?

If no-one cared what you did, what would you be doing?

These are just a few of the questions that occurred to me about these quotes

What questions and thoughts do these quotes prompt for you?

thank you

I know that there are various aspects that can influence if a quote attracts your attention – if you saw the tweet, personal style, if it speaks to something happening in your life at that moment, if you feel it’s something that will resonate with your own followers. Many thanks if you’ve taken the time to RT, clicked favourite, and generally interacted with the quotes on the twitter feed.

(For those of you as geeky as I am and wondering what tool I’m using to measure individual RT’s this week I’ve been playing with www.twitonomy.com and Twitters own analytics system)

P.S. Wondering how to use quotes in your coaching? Back in 2012 I wrote a couple of posts around using quotes in coaching, Do you use quotes in your coaching? and a follow up one answering a readers question Using quotes in coaching – remembering them in the first place.

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

In her spare time Jen is a volunteer for the UK based charity The Cinnamon Trust who support elderly and terminally ill pet owners provide care for their pets. As a volunteer, Jen regularly walks dogs for owners who physically often find that more challenging then they once did. As a pet owner herself, Jen finds it really rewarding to be able to assist an owner stay with an animal that has become part of the family. (Plus it’s a great aditional motivator when working from home to get out and get some fresh air and exercise)

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!