lesson

Coaching Confidence Chatterbox with Olivia Chapman 1

 in Chatterbox  tagged benefit / Chatterbox / client / coach / coaching / interview / lesson / Olivia Chapman / questions

Chatterbox

Coaching Confidence Chatterbox with

Olivia Chapman

The Coaching Confidence Chatterbox is an interview feature with coaches where the questions are generated based on the origami fortune teller/chatterbox game.

Olivia Chapman

Name: Olivia Chapman

Name of your Coaching Business: Natural Greatness Coaching, LLC.

Website: www.naturalgreatnesscoaching.com

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(The answers to the above questions are then used to generate a choice of numbers)

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Select one of the following numbers 8, 1, 4 or 5: 8

“What, if anything, do you look for when choosing to work with a client?”:

First and foremost I want to be sure that any potential clients are willing to be truly invested in the process. The coaching process is one where both coach and client are deeply invested in the relationship, the plan and the intended goals.

Secondly, I ensure that there are no conflicts of interest between the client and myself as well as reflect upon whether or not I am best suited to help each individual client. For example, if the area in which they seek coaching is not an area in which I feel I have the proper expertise or is not aligned with the moral foundation of my company, I will refer them to another coach or service.

Ultimately, I want to be the best coach for each individual client so I take time to check in with myself and reflect before going into contract.

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Select one of the following numbers 1, 4 or 5: 5

“What is your favourite way that a client has found out about your work?”:

My favorite way to find out that a client has discovered my work is word of mouth. If my previous clients have referred me to their friends, coworkers or family, I feel as though I am making a difference. That validation and endorsement from clients is what grows my business as well as gives me the assurance that my work is empowering and motivating others.

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Select one of the following numbers 1 or 4: 5

“What is the biggest lesson that you’ve learnt, so far, as a coach?”:

The biggest lesson I have learned as a coach so far is so simple: listen. Just listen. Listen closely and listen to truly gain understanding. Do not listen just to respond, listen to clarify, listen to learn and listen to connect.

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What question would you like to add to the Chatterbox for another coach to answer?:

As a coach, what do you feel has been the greatest benefit of being coached?

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How would you answer that question?:

As a coach, I have had a relationship with my own coach for a while now. Also, I have been coached in trainings as well as by coaching mentors in the field and in my own business. The greatest benefit of this coaching is that I am continuously gaining more perspective and having moments of realization in my own life and practice. Often times I can use this greater understanding of myself to break down my own barriers of thinking and pass on new insights and perspectives to my clients. In a way, I see coaching as a tree, whereas the branches of perspective and knowledge keep growing which is constantly energizing to me.

 

Thanks for playing Olivia, if you want to find out more about her work visit www.naturalgreatnesscoaching.com.

If you are a coach and want to play with the Coaching Confidence Chatterbox send an email via this page.

 

Coaching Confidence Chatterbox with Jen Waller

 in Chatterbox  tagged advice / business / Chatterbox / client / coach / coaching / interview / Jen Waller / lesson / starting / starting coaching

Chatterbox

Coaching Confidence Chatterbox with

Jen Waller

The Coaching Confidence Chatterbox is an interview feature with coaches where the questions are generated based on the origami fortune teller/chatterbox game.

As this is the first week, I thought as this is my site I’d join in and play first. 🙂

Name: Jen Waller

Website: www.CoachingConfidence.co.uk (this one!)

Jen Waller

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(The answers to the above questions are then used to generate a choice of numbers)

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Select one of the following numbers 8, 1, 4 or 5: 5

“What is your favourite way that a client has found out about your work?“:

A lot of the clients I work with have either come to me as a referral or because they have already have experience/contact with my work – either through the written word or in person.

For example, I have had clients approach me to become their coach who I initially met at someone elses event and we did a coaching exercise together.

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Select one of the following numbers 7, 2, 3 or 6: 6

“If you could travel back in time to give a message to yourself either at the start of your coaching journey, or earlier, what would that message be?”

For a long time I let fear and that voice of doubt and self criticism get in the way of actually coaching and being present with the other person.

So the first thing that springs to mind is to actually give her a big hug and tell her that everything will be OK. One day you will really see that the voice inside your head, the one that wants to give a running critique (the one you think is getting in the way), really doesn’t have to be important!

I know that at the time I was all about the destination and not so much about the journey – I doubt I’d have let myself get away without giving what I’d have viewed as a more practical answer.

So I’ll also add that you really don’t need to know all the questions you’re going to ask before the session – it works so much better if you respond to what your client actually says in that moment. Not what you imagined they may say or even where they were before the session!

Not knowing before the session what you are going to ask really does not reflect on your coaching skills – it just means that you’ve not learnt to time travel yet!

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Select one of the following numbers 8, 1 or 4: 4

“What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a coach?”

Oh so many to choose from – both from a coaching and a business perspective. I suspect that this is one of those questions where my answer will change from one week to the next!

If I had to just pick one today I would pick a coaching related one. It’s one where the language may get a bit more messy as it describes an experience – different people may use the same words in different contexts and to describe different experiences.

I think being totally present, focused and just “with” the other person is so powerful. It’s about listening without the purpose of fixing them, or using a specific pre-determined “technique” etc. It’s that space where if that voice of self doubt and criticism appears in my head it can go as quickly as it came – ‘cos it’s not about me in that moment, it’s about the other person.

When I’m in that flow it’s almost as if the questions, stories, quotes etc I share are coming from elsewhere. I’m not consciously having to think about any of that. Sometimes there’s a relaxed choice to make about a direction to head in but there’s an ease and naturalness about it all.

I love learning new things and I think certainly when I started out I would focus loads on the techniques, do lots and lots of language based drills, study different models and theories etc. I certainly undervalued the impact that being present environment can make – it seemed so simple and yet makes such a big difference.

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What question would you like to add to the Chatterbox for another coach to answer?

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a coaching business?

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How would you answer that question?

Two aspects immediately spring to mind:

  • Firstly the easiest way is to get some practical experience both as a coach and as a client. See how you enjoy this before jumping headlong into setting up a full time business and then potentially discovering that what you thought in theory is nothing like the actual experience!
  • Secondly, if you are wanting to “make a living” from coaching with your own business then there is the business aspects – it’s not just about coaching every working hour. That may seem obvious and it’s worth stating you don’t have to do all that single handed.

Having a support structure in place helps. How that support structure looks will vary from person to person – some will want support from an admin perspective, others with accounting, many love having someone to bounce ideas off or to talk about how to find clients etc.

It also really helps if you can make a difference with your clients so depending on your existing knowledge and background it may be that part of that support plan involves training and skill development.

One of the questions I’ve been known to ask people is to consider what their “dream” support would be? So if you had unlimited money/ time/ resources what would you put in place to make this easier and more fun?

Logistically unlimited money/ time / resources may not be your reality but I find that question often highlights surprising answers that many hadn’t considered exploring previously.

I’m on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from Non-Coach to Coach and Beyond, to find out more about me and my work visit here.

If you are a coach and want to play with the Coaching Confidence Chatterbox send an email via this page.

5 Life Lessons to Teach Your Team 2

 in Guest Post  tagged balance / hard work / James White / lesson / preparation / team

In today’s guest post former basketball coach James White shares a little of his approach to working with teams:

"5 Life Lessons to Teach Your Team" A guest post by James White

5 Life Lessons to Teach Your Team

by James White

Coaching a team is a multifaceted act of teaching. Not only do successful coaches teach their team the nuances of a particular sport or practice, but they also teach team members valuable lessons about life.

You see this type of duality in every great sports movie. Regardless of whether or not the team is successful in the end, the coach’s players walk away having learned invaluable life lessons. Given the authority and level of influence that coaches have on players, it is no surprise that they are looked upon as role models.

Whether you are coaching players in a traditional sport or leading a team in a business setting, here are five valuable life lessons that you can instill in those who look up to you:

1. Finding a Balance

One of the most important lessons that a coach can teach players is the importance of finding a balance in life. While it is a coach’s job to achieve excellence on the field, it is also a coach’s responsibility to ensure that people succeed in the classroom and serve as role models in the other facets of their lives. I usually combine this lesson with doing dribbling drills that take focus and balance to achieve. While they are doing the drill I talk about the importance of balance both in the game in their own lives.

2. Hard Work

The relationship between hard work and success is another concept that sports can help people understand. Sports serve as an excellent allegory for life in general, as they offer a set of standards for success and a designated path for achieving it. If a coach can manage to show players the correlation between hard work and success on the field, these players will understand the value of hard work in every other aspect of their lives as well.

3. Winning and Losing

Winning and losing are two occurrences that coaches will likely have to navigate their team through. Managing to teach your team to win and lose with grace is an invaluable lesson, according to Sports Feel Good Stories. Understanding how to handle these occurrences within the sporting world will help people to manage successes and failures later in life. Encourage your team to have a good attitude even when they lose.

4. Being a Team Player

Working well with others is not only a skill that is necessary for success on the field, it is also a skill that directly translates to a professional setting. Just as players must learn to play with their teammates, business professionals must cooperate with their fellow employees. Not only does this mean contributing to the team with your own talents, it also means doing your part to make those around you better.

One analogy that explains this life lesson is the wheel. Explain how each player represents a spoke and without all of them performing at their best a wheel will not work. Helping players recognize the importance of their team members is perhaps the most important lesson coaches can bestow upon their teams.

5. Preparation

Sports such as football, basketball and soccer require extensive studying and preparation. Teaching your players the value of being prepared for the big game is a realization that is applicable for other aspects of their lives, as well. Use the well-known phrases “Practice make perfect” and “No pain, no gain” to remind players why they need to practice hard.

Coaches have the opportunity to use sports and other team scenarios as mediums for teaching people important life lessons. A good coach isn’t necessarily the one with the winning team, but the coach whose players walk away as better people is always appreciated.

About James White

James White coached basketball for 3 years and is currently working on his business degree. Connect with James on Twitter at @JGtheSavage or read more articles from him on his personal blog Info Bros.