Coaching is known to be about questions. For me these questions are invocations to the Client (Coachee) for deep exploration of coaching goal at a manifest level and ‘Self’ at a deeper level.
Very often in coaching, clients are looking for a quick solution to a pressing problem, or a sounding board to vent out their pent-up emotions, or even someone supposedly better to validate their thought process. This is especially so in corporate/managerial context.
A coach is not a solution-provider, and definitely not a sooth-sayer or agony aunt. To be honest to his/her role and ethics, a Coach must be able to help the client delve deep into what really is s/he seeking. A coaching session without real, deep coaching intent and question, may end up being a coffee-table conversation. Interesting and creative … may be ; yet not inspired or ‘creative enough’.
It is a sacred job for the Coach to help the client explore deep and articulate well the purpose of his/her exploration. Doing so in an authentic, curious way, may actually help the client discover things larger, higher and deeper than his/her immediate manifest worries/doubts. This exploration is an essential touchstone of the first phase (Invocation) of my IDEA framework of Appreciative Coaching.
Many a times, such an authentic exploration involves or impacts discovery of inherent values, beliefs or underlying issues. And needless to say, this itself may sometimes prove to be the answer to the hitherto un-articulated question that client was unconsciously delving on. The risk for the coach is that this may end the coaching relationship (and therefore ‘business’) much before its expected (or intended) closure. Are we courageous and honest enough to take that risk and do what our ethics and competence are called to do! Or it is easier and possibly ‘accepted way of doing business’ and therefore OK to work at surface and manage to satisfy the client at his/her level of expectation/exploration. I must put a caveat here … I am in no way suggesting that the Coach should suggest or infuse in the Client a goal that is not his/her own. I am instead asking us to invoke & help the client explore & articulate well his coaching need and goal, rather than delivering at surface level in our hurry to close the work & bill the session.
Sadly I see/hear more and more stories about the latter type of work. Sadly indeed … for when the Coach remains a mere service provider than being a truly transformational catalyst … the Client does not learn, change or grow deep. The flip side is that when the Client learns, changes or grows deep … so does the Coach.
What is a similar or like-impact invocation that you have found useful!
Shall curiously await your response & reflection.
With Appreciation & Light
Neena Verma, PhD, PCC
