Blog

Life is a wonderful game to be played and not watched from the sidelines. That means we have to be willing to take chances and get in the game or we’ll never know what it feels like to score a goal, sink a three-pointer, or make a touchdown.

OK, enough with the bad sports analogy. Think about it though, as coaches in order to challenge our clients to play a bigger game, we have to be willing to challenge ourselves. So, when was the last time you took a chance? When was the last time you threw caution to the wind and just went for something?

Think about what we do as coaches: We listen. We ask questions. We clarify. We reflect the essence of what we hear/observe so that a client can see themselves. And then assist in moving to desired results. What we do is truly brilliant and helpful work.

And, what we do is not enough. Who we are being while coaching, is as important as what we are doing. This highlights an important guiding principle in our work as coaches: Curiosity. We must be curious Simply, if we are curious, we actually stimulate discovery, new awareness and ultimately results.

Assuming this is true, how can be learn to be more curious? Ciskszentmihalyi stated in his book “Flow”, that…..”…..we can develop our curiosity (and fight boredom) by making a conscious effort to direct our attention to something in particular in our environment.” So, if we direct our attention fully to our clients and become explorers, curious as to what we will discover together, this will actually enhance our ability to even BE curious!

Have you ever watched a child pick up something and investigate it as if it were the coolest thing they have ever seen? They often explore what we might consider the most simple things with a wide-eyed curiosity and enthusiasm. It is a beautiful thing to see; to see a child so present in the moment, learning, and enthralled by the things surrounding them.

Isn’t it true that as adults we sometimes get so lost in all the day-to-day that we sometimes don’t see what’s around us? We forget to be present in the moment, clouding our ability to see the great learning experiences and fantastic opportunities. Heck, we even forget to breathe!

How does the color blue suit you?

Silence is a beautiful thing. Silence provides us with a break from all the buzz. It affords us some breathing space. It can be a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day. As coaches, it can be one of the most powerful coaching tools in our coaching toolbox.

You may have already noticed or experienced this, but when there’s silence there’s a natural urge to fill it. In the coaching conversation, when you use silence you give the other person the time and the space to reflect before responding. Think about it, you have asked that jewel of a question, a real eye-opener, what better way to highlight that question then to go silent?

One of the first things I did after completing my Certificate in Executive Coaching (CEC) from Royal Roads University was hire one of the best coaches that I could find. In my case, this wasn’t a particularly difficult task as I had been exposed to so many amazing coaches.

I realize that I was very lucky, finding a great coach can be difficult for those people that do not have the same level of exposure to the coaching world that I had. I did a quick Google search to see what information would be available to people interested in hiring a coach – there is an incredibly overwhelming amount of information out there! No wonder people are intimidated by the prospect of searching for a coach.