| Supporting
Clients in Transition
In the August 19th issue of the Coach to Coach
Network newsletter, edited by John Agno, a quote by
Dave Buck, the President of Coachville, caught my eye.
In an interview with Wayne Messick about what business
owners are looking for in a coach, Dave said, 'When
you work with many clients in a similar arena, you develop
an incredible wisdom--an incredible capacity to see
distinctions and patterns.' (See the end of the email
for more information about the research)
The reason this statement struck me is that
I've experienced the truth of this statement in my own
work with transitions and career change.
- When I work with clients who need support that's
in alignment with my areas of expertise, our sessions
are deeper, more expansive, more productive, and,
frankly, more fun for me and my clients.
- When I take on clients who are outside my target
market, I get the job done, but I don't bring the
same level of passion, knowledge, awareness, or insight
to the table (or the phone).
Although it's true your coaching skills or
therapeutic skills can be used in nearly any situation,
as Dave Buck notes, '...there's an incredible
wisdom--an incredible
capacity to see distinctions and pattern' that develops
when you concentrate your efforts in a particular arena.
I realize the words 'wisdom' and 'expertise'
can be intimidating, especially if you are just starting
out or been in your practice only a few years.
In my case, my areas of expertise evolved over time
out of several deeply held passions, my personal experiences,
and my clients' needs. When I say 'over time' I mean
just that. It took me several years to gather my thoughts
and put them into a cohesive form. Then it took a few
more years to create polished materials that effectively
communicated my ideas.
No matter where you are in the process of identifying
your specialties, you are already gathering important
knowledge and expertise that will pull together
in a cohesive form... you just may not be able to define
or articulate your area of focus at this moment. (Stay
with me...I have a tip for you at the end of the newsletter.)
Over the years I've experienced many times when my
accumulated wisdom guided my work. What follows are
some general ideas and some specific examples.
- I hear what clients say from a different
place now. I'm not just hearing the words
they say, I'm able to:
~~ Intuit what they may not be saying.
~~Compare what they are saying with what others in
similar circumstances have said.
~~Pose questions that draw out the key pieces of information
I need to assess their specific situation.
~~ Example: With clients in transition,
a certain phrase or emotion tells me where the client
is in The Seasons of Change journey. Knowing where
they are gives me clues about the support they need,
the detours they are tempted by, the cultural messages
they are influenced by, and the tasks they can focus
on to move forward. This wealth of information not
only guides my questions and comments but allows me
to inform my client about the path they are on. Sometimes
just the discussion about The Seasons of Change journey
provides great insight and relief.
- I am able to learn as much from their actions
as I do from their words. In some cases,
I learn about their mind set and priorities by observing
the choices they make and the actions they take. In
other cases, the way they do (or don't do) the exercises
I've assigned, tells me as much (or more) about where
they are as their words.
~~ Example: In both The Seasons of
Change and the Career Clarity Program, when a client
avoids, procrastinates, or struggles with a key exercise,
my focus immediately shifts from the content we might
have gotten from the exercise to the process of struggle
they are experiencing. Their struggle becomes the
window to new insights.
- I'm more aware of the actions they may
take or be tempted to take that will, in the long
run, take them off course.
~~ Example: In The Seasons
of Change, clients are always tempted to leap at the first opportunity that presents
itself after an ending. By showing them The Seasons
of
Change path, I can help them see that leaping before
they
are clear is a major, often costly detour.
- I know the points in the programs I use
that tend to be the most difficult for people.
Often I coach them or provide specific instructions
ahead of time so they don't fall into that trap. In
other cases, I share how others responded to or got
around a tough point in the process.
~~ Example: In the Career Clarity
Program, there are several activities that ask clients
to think ideally about their situation. For clients
who are feeling the pressure of their financial reality,
this is a tough task. I must support them
by carefully explaining the purpose and scope of exercise
and asking them questions to confirm we got to the
core of their truth.
- I can highlight potential time saving approaches
that allow my clients to move out of confusion and
into clarity more quickly and more effectively.
~~ Example: In the Career
Clarity Program, if a client has an idea about what
they want to do next, I know the questions to ask
to evaluate how well formed their idea actually is.
Having them take a step back to evaluate an idea actually
ends up saving them time. If they'd gone off half-cocked
with their idea they would have run into any number
of costly surprises.
When you begin working with clients you depend
on your training, your own experiences, and your intuition.
Together you and your client find your way.
Then over the next couple weeks or months, two or
three other clients come in and you notice similarities
between their stories. At first it strikes you as a
coincidence that these clients have come to you at the
same time.
Then you realize you've worked with ten to
fifteen clients who face similar dilemmas or circumstances.
Now it's hard to ignore the fact that a pattern exists.
With increased attention and confidence you see the
patterns, similarities, differences, and unique characteristics.
Knowing this information helps you help your client
in a richer, more cohesive manner. Rather than working
with clients one by one, you are able to draw from your
experiences with past clients to help your new clients.
Eventually you become known for your work
in that particular arena. You have a unique
degree of expertise that shows in your work. Your knowledge
and understanding of your specialty allows you to proactively
ask for the key pieces
of information you know you need to help your client
succeed.
In the process of working with you, your clients
win because they plug into the bigger picture you provide.
They know they aren't the only ones who have
ever experienced this worry or hardship. They have a
better sense of their options. They don't waste their
time and money on getting you up to speed on their situation
because you are already there with them.
- You increase the impact of your work.
- You are engaged with your client at an
entirely different level because you are
building your understanding at the same time they
are transforming their lives. The synergy and catalytic
nature of your relationships with these clients is
profoundly deep.
- Ultimately, you can leverage your knowledge
into other income producing ventures--books,
tapes, talks, workshops--that support your clients.
- People recognize your knowledge
and, as a result, you increase your standing in the
community, which translates over time into more referrals
and repeat business.
As I mentioned above, your topic of expertise
is likely to evolve, out of your own interests, experiences,
and your clients' needs. Pay attention to what
interests you most in the world and in your work with
clients. Follow the threads of interest, for those are
the topics pulling you forward to a new level of expertise.
Toread about Wayne Messick's research about what
business owners are looking for in a coach, visit http://www.familybusinessstrategies.com/profiles/dbuck.html
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