Goals

Having heard of smart goals meaning specific, measurable, attainable,realistic and timely I find myself lacking a little in the goal setting department.

As a coach I find myself helping others set goals all the time and yet when I have the goal of completing an advanced coaching degree I find that though I have the capability of doing the work I have left myself short in the time department. What I failed to do was to correctly estimate the time it would take to achieve the goal.

Had I taken the time to look carefully at what would be required to attain the goal I could have set a manageable schedule for myself. That would have made the journey more relaxed and enjoyable.

I try to use my own real life experiences to learn from and then share with my clients.

Confidence

Tonight I attended a class in confidence with a new instructor at ICA. She was wonderful and so open about sharing her own fears coaching in the teleclass format.

I felt myself sigh of relief as I have felt much the same. My confidence level coaching one on one is far greater than in a class where I feel I am being observed by people I can't see.

So what I learned is that there are areas of confidence in my coaching that I need to work on. My confidence increased just a little bit in this regard when someone else shared their struggle.

That honesty and ability to own just where we are today is part of what draws me to coaching.

I am grateful to the facilitator and look forward to next week

Structure In the Coaching Practice

with her clients. That hit home with me. I want for each person I work with to be committed to the process or it does not work and both parties are frustrated. To me though that As we delved a little deeper into what we wanted for structures in our own coaching practice I really visualized how helpful structures are. I loved that one of the other coaches on the call stated that one of her structures was that she would be flexiblecommitment does not mean that I have an iron clad rule that all sessions must be completed as they are scheduled. I want the client to honor themselves trough the process and sometimes that dictates I must be flexible and open to a missed session now and again or a session that runs over or must be cut short.

As I see it this type of flexibility, as long as both coach and client are respectful of it, will enhance the coaching process. I know that my coaches have been flexible with me and I strive to not take advantage of it knowing that consistency ( meaning not missing appointments more than once in a row ) has been the key to my ability to move forward.

I choose not to have a welcome packet that is bogged down with restrictions and requirements. I do ask that my clients be willing to make at least a three month commitment to themselves and the coaching process. I also ask they try to let me know in advance if a session will be missed or to let me know if they require extra support at a particular point which may necessitate additional check in calls and e-mails. This helps me to be the best coach for them.

I have become a woman who has grown to appreciate the freedom that well placed structures in business and life can offer.

Creating Structure

In class yesterday we were discussing creating structures in our business and coaching practices. It is funny how I reacted to structure as a good thing, a necessary thing as long as it is flexible and changeable.

That actually surprised me a little because in many areas of my life I have avoided structure preferring to be free to change direction with any whim that came along. It is not that I did not adhere to structure it is just that I did it grudgingly. I though it was against my free spirited nature.

It is now that I understand that it is sometimes in the framework of a positive structure that we can explore our freedom in a way that may not have been possible before. Not only am I free to be a good coach but the client can feel secure within the framework to go places they may not have gone. They understand what to expect and so do I.

As I create and recreate structure in my own business it is with the aim of fostering the best possible coach and client relationship.

The Power of Acknowledgement

It was in a class the other day when I was reminded of what a powerful tool acknowledgement is. I have always felt that I notice, appreciate and am aware of all the incredible things achieved by others but even though I am taking note of it in my head.....it has not always translated to a verbal acknowledgement to the client.

Part of the reason is because in my own upbringing acknowledgement was not something we were familiar with. Our parents expected we would know what to do and just do it. Case closed.
So for me acknowledgement is a muscle that needs to be exercised and developed. I have seen first hand in my adult life as well as my coaching practice what a powerful tool it is and the results it can bring.
Therefore I am more than willing to do the work.