Attributes of a Great Client

To keep with the theme of greatness, I am following up on my Great Coach post with a Top 10 list of Great Client Attributes.  My personal reflections of my experience as a client are expressed to illustrate the concept.  This exemplifies the Co-creation/combined energies at play in a Coaching relationship.  I hope it resonates.

Attributes of a Great Client

Top 10 Attributes of a Great Client

  1. Courage to embrace new experiences
  2. Open to new points of view
  3. Trust for their coach
  4. Respect for the coaching process
  5. Willingness to let go of obstacles that hold them back
  6. Passion to reach their goal
  7. Willingness to discover hidden underlying beliefs
  8. Ability to be honest with themselves
  9. Ability to be honest with their coach
  10. The need to bring out their inner strengths

What I Learned from my Experience as a Client

As a client, I learned to trust my coach to support me in finding my strengths as well as my barriers and how to navigate both sides to reach my goals. I learned how visualization, breathing and role-playing exercises can be keys to success as a client. My sessions as a client taught me to let go of pre-conceived notions and realize I can change. I found strengths I had not cultivated in my entire life and how each of us should utilize the proper support system to bring out our “best self”.

Personally, I found I am responsible for my own life and control the path to my goals. As a result of being coached, I am now moving forward on multiple aspects of my coaching practice with the confidence of someone who KNOWS they can do anything they put their mind to.

Attributes of a Great Coach

Here are some reflections on what I feel it takes to be a great coach.  I hope it gives some perspective on the Coaching Profession.

Top 10 Attributes of a Great Coach

  1. Passion for the coaching process
  2. Ability to get clients to reframe their perspective
  3. Holding the client accountable
  4. Respect for the client and their expertise
  5. Active listener
  6. Non-judgmental
  7. Client Centric
  8. Ability to ask meaningful questions
  9. Ability to make the client feel comfortable opening up to them
  10. Intuitive

What I Have Learned from my Experience as a Coach

The main thing I have learned in my coaching sessions is to be “Client Centric”.  The session is all about the client.  I can create a comfortable, safe space for my client.  I have learned to differentiate between support and help, responding and reacting and to release judgment.  I am able to let go of my agenda and allow the client to be themself.

Another thing I have learned has to do with Active Listening.  I was in the habit of waiting for the other person to stop talking so I can say what I wanted to say, sometimes cutting them off before they finished.  I have begun to allow ample time after my client stops speaking before I respond to them.

I have also learned how not to give advice to my clients.  I am developing my ability to ask thoughtful questions in place of leading my clients with questions that suggest what I think they should do.

The biggest thing I have learned is, I am a Coach and will continue to develop my skills as a Coach every day.

Attributes of a Great Coach

Reviewing: The Human Experience – The Arthur Boorman Story By Bill Holland

Bill Holland’s article expresses many coaching concepts.  His “belief in the human spirit” and the capabilities we all possess embody “living the coaching life”.  His wording mirrors the concepts we follow at the International Coach Academy.  He does not see things as negative, but as obstacles or barriers to reaching our goals.  This attitude is what allows us as coaches to support our clients in finding ways to leverage our strengths to overcome these obstacles and barriers.

Click the link below for the full review:

Bill Holland-Arthur Boorman Article Review

 

Coaching Power Tool – Renting VS Owning

As a Life Coach who believes in accountability, I am sharing my personal Coaching Power Tool. I hope it will benefit life coaches and resonate with clients.  Renting vs Owning Power Tool

RENTING:

To occupy somebody else’s property or use somebody else’s equipment in return for regular payments.

 OWNING:

Belonging to or done by a particular person or thing.

This power tool targets and focuses on accountability.  On my life’s journey, I have discovered a philosophy of living life at 90%.  The basic concept is that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.  The driving force behind this rationale is taking responsibility. We become our best selves by remaining grounded and not giving power to others or circumstances that are out of our control.  If we respond to every situation knowing we are giving our best and letting go of what is not ours, it will help us take command of our lives and put ourselves on the path to achieving our goals both big and small.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE RENT?

What do we rent in life?  Some of us rent homes, some of us rent cars and some rent appliances.  What do the owners of those things worry about most?  The condition these items will be in upon return, correct?  That is why they take security deposits and impose penalties for damage.  Why is this necessary?  This is due to the fact that renters may not give the proper care and respect to the things they are renting.  We may not take the time to make the best choice when we are renting.  When we rent and feel something belongs to someone else we may not be as diligent with the upkeep.  It belongs to someone else and will be returned at some point in the future.  A rental is a finite agreement.  A rental is an expense.  Why should we respect it?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE OWN?

When we own something, we treat it with great respect.  We make improvements to the homes we buy.  We get upset if our new car gets scratched.  We want our appliances to last as long as possible.  We put more effort into researching something we plan to buy.  If we plan to keep something for 10 or 20 or 50 years we want it to be exactly what we want.  We want it to reflect who we are.  Something we own is an asset and adds to our net worth.  It belongs to us and we do our best to keep it pristine.  What gives us this different perspective?

COACHING APPLICATION

Granted, there are people who may not fit into these descriptions and put great care into the maintenance of things they rent, but let us apply this to our thoughts, actions and emotions.  If we give control to others, we are merely “renting” the results as we grant ownership to the other person is responsible for the result.  Although our background and experience play a part in our behavior, our thoughts and emotions are ours and ours alone.  The things we do and feel are ultimately our responsibility.  Taking this into account how can someone else make you do or feel something, short of physical coercion?

WHY DO WE ALLOW RENTING

We need to take our experience and base our lives on our beliefs.  What can cause us to allow someone to “rent” space in our lives?  There are a number of possibilities.

FEAR

Fear is often a contributing factor.  We may fear something being “our fault” leading us to say someone or something else made us do it.  We do not wish to face the consequences.  How does fear manifest itself?  It keeps us from taking that step to own our actions, thoughts and emotions.  The key is to find the inner strength to conquer our fears so we can live our lives according to our standards.

LIMITING BELIEFS

Limiting beliefs may also come into play.  How do we get to the point where we believe we cannot do something because we cannot see beyond our limiting beliefs?  Acknowledging our strength, intelligence and value drives our ability to take decisive action.  Once we recognize such beliefs we may find we hold the key to unlock our limitations and emerge a more complete person.

EXERCISE

  1. Visualize a past event where you felt someone else was responsible for your action or feelings.
  2. List reasons you felt someone or something else was responsible.
  3. Think of ways you could have taken ownership of the situation.
  4. Give some examples of how the situation could have been different if you had taken ownership.
  5. How did you feel about the end result of the scenario?

QUESTIONS

  1. How can you identify when someone is “renting” space in your life?
  2. How do you feel when another person does something that changes your mood/actions?
  3. What is introduced by allowing an outside force to be the basis of our feelings or actions?
  4. What value is there to allow someone else to “rent” space in our lives when we have the knowledge and strength inside us to “own” everything we do and everything we are?
  5. How can we be accountable for our thoughts and actions if we believe someone or something else created them?
  6. How do you determine what your limits are?
  7. What can you achieve by acknowledging your power to own your life?

 

 

The A*R*I*S*E* Coaching Model

All coaches develop models for how they support their clients through their “Life Journeys”. My model is all about finding the drive to go the extra mile in your every day life and getting up one more time than you fall down!


A*R*I*S*E* COACHING MODEL

The A*R*I*S*E* Coaching Model is based on using your inner strength to overcome obstacles. It is about recognizing counterproductive habits or behaviors that are keeping you down and rising to the occasion to strive for your goals in spite of these obstacles. Finding and employing the strengths that work for you is the foundation. It can be summed up as follows:

WE ALL FALL DOWN! GET UP AGAIN!

There are five concepts in this process. It is not meant to be linear. Each concept can and should be revisited on a regular basis as a way of keeping your commitment to success as your journey continues.
The stages are:

AWARENESS
REFRAMING PERSPECTIVES
INTROSPECTION
STRUCTURE
EMPOWERMENT

A

Awareness of your situation

The first step to becoming the best you can is to be aware of your situation and your goals. You must know the factors creating your reality and recognize how they affect your situation. We need to recognize what works for us as individuals and what does not work for us. Which attitudes, behaviors, habits and other factors are preventing us from reaching our goals? How can we leverage our strengths to achieve these goals?

R

Reframe your perspectives

Once you are aware of the strengths and obstacles contributing to your current state, the next step is to look at these factors from a different point of view. Creating new perspective is a tremendous key to changing behavior and depends on your ability to learn. The following step is to figure out the best way to put these new perspectives to work.

I

Introspection to look inward for your solution

You are the expert on your life! The tools to put your new perspectives to work and take action to reach your goal already exist within you. Look inside to find your strengths and areas of possible improvement. This is the time to visualize events in your life and become cognizant of what you did that lead to success and possible obstacles to reaching your goals. Once you have recognized your abilities, you can figure out how to create a lifestyle that will facilitate your path to success.

S

Structure to facilitate taking action and reaching your goals

You have reached the point of awareness, with a reframed perspective and have looked inside to discover the path you know will bring you to your ultimate goal. You are now ready to recognize and put helpful structures into place to put your new found knowledge to use. Identifying both empowering and dis empowering structures you may or may not realize exist in your life is a huge step in understanding the aspects of you r life that truly influence reaching or blocking your ultimate goal. We all have structures in our everyday lives. The dynamic of a client/coach relationship should help the client find these structures while also allowing the client to develop new structures to support their journey. These structures eventually lead the client to the next step in the ARISE Model.

E

Empowerment to take responsibility for your continued success

This is the most challenging part of the ARISE coaching model. You are aware of your situation and have learned how to make the changes to put the fixes in place. That, in and of itself is a great accomplishment, but it is not the end. Now you need to find the energy and passion within yourself to build on your strengths while maintaining these new found behaviors, attitudes and habits every day. It is a lifelong commitment and now that you are aware of what it takes to reach a goal, you can apply this model to any current or future goals you may have. This is the time for the client to take ownership of their life.

Do you see this model as a positive framework that can help you reach your goals?

If you do, please contact me at jasongambacoach@gmail.com to schedule an exploratory coaching session.

Revisiting my Inspirational Discussion with Diamond Dallas Page, Arthur Boorman and Dr Craig Aaron

I just returned from the DDP Yoga Retreat in Riviera Maya, Mexico. It was an awesome time. We worked out really hard (up to 3.5 hours a day) and met alot of GREAT people. It was truly a life changing experience. I am posting a Youtube link to a discussion I had with the creators or DDP Yoga Diamond Dallas Page and Doctor Craig Aaron and a man who has played a huge part in the exploding popularity of DDP Yoga, Arthur Boorman. The video is just under 15 minutes in length, and it includes some incredible insights into Arthur’s inspirational journey that you probably have not heard before. Search DDP Yoga and Arthur Boorman for more information.

You can find the video here:

For Additional Information on Arthur’s Journey check out these Youtube channels:

http://www.youtube.com/user/arthurboorman

http://www.youtube.com/user/Dallaspage