Define coaching presence.
A way of being with clients (mindful, empathetic, warm, calm, zestful, fun, and courageous). Coaching requires one essential ingredient that cannot be taught: caring not only for external results but for the person being coached. Supports client growth by what the DO and who they ARE.
The ability to be fully conscious and create spontaneous relationship with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible, and confident. ICF considers this a core coaching competency.
Coaching presence
What is the ICF
International Coaches Federation
ICF on coaching presence:
- Is present and flexible during the coaching process, dancing in the moment
- Accesses one’ intuition and trust one’s inner knowing- “goes with the gut”
- Is open to not knowing and takes risks
- Sees many ways to work with the client and chooses the moment what is most effective
- Uses humor effectively to create lightness and energy
- Confidently shifts perspectives and experiments with new possibilities for own action
- Demonstrates confidence in working with strong emotions and can self manage and not be over powered by or enmeshed in client’s emotions
Coaching presence notions as suggested by Thomas Leonard:
- It’s all solvable or it’s not
- Risk is always reducible
- There’s usually a better way
- Success is a byproduct
- Emotions are our teachers
- Inklings are higher intelligence
- The answer is somewhere
- Self-confidence can be arranged
- Problems are immediate opportunities
- People are doing their very best- even when they do not appear to be
What are the 9 Being Skills?
Which are the skills coaches use to build growth-promoting relationships and also represent a coach’s way of being when at his or her most authentic.
These are skills that can be chosen and strengthened.
- Mindfulness
- Empathy
- Warmth
- Affirmation
- Calm
- Zest
- Playfulness
- Courage
- Authenticity
Mindfulness
Nonjudgmental awareness of what is happening in the present moment.
Mindfulness requires:
prefrontal cortex
- Self-regulation
2. Posture of curiosity, openness, and assessment
What is the VIA questionaire?
Values-in-Action Signature Strengths Questionaire
- Self-regulation
- Bravery
- Integrity
- Perspective
- Citizenship
- Social intelligence
Empathy
The respectful understanding of another person’s experience, including their feelings, needs, and desires.
Suspends all judgement, analysis, suggestions, stories, and motivation to fix things.
- Curious without being demanding
- Interested without being intrusive
- Compassionate without being condescending
- Persistent without being impatient
Intention to “get with”
Understand and value another’s experience with respect and compassion.
Warmth
Needed for empathy
Positive Regard
Affirmation
Conveys acceptance and appreciation of a client’s thoughts, feelings, and choices.
Combines mindfulness and empathy.
Reframe negative negative energy and challenging circumstances as positive opportunity for movement and growth.
“I’m okay, you’re okay”.
Calm
“My certainty is greater than your doubt”.
Zest
Optimistic and hopeful. It anticipates the best and as a result.
Celebrating the good.
Playfulness
Goes together with Zest.
Ignites our energy for engagement in life.
Curiosity underlies it.
Courage and authenticity
Naming what is present to wake up a patient’s awareness, create connection, and generate movement.
Truth is contagious and resonant.
Accurate observations free from evaluations. Helps clients gain new awareness and understanding.
Conveying coaching presence
Word choice, phrasing, pace, body language, facial expressions, intonation.
Also SILENCE
Coaching presence
symphony of unique talents and character strengths
StrengthsFinder created by
Peterson and Seligman 2004
How many character strengths are there? And they are grouped into how many categories?
- 24
- 6 (virtues)
What are the 6 larger categories of character strengths called?
Virtues
VIA Signature Strengths Questionaire online.
Top 5 are signature strengths
List the 6 Virtues
- Wisdom and Knowledge
- creativity
- curiosity
- open-mindedness
- love of learning
- perspective
- Courageintegrity
- integrity
- bravery
- persistence
- vitality
- Humanity
- love
- kindness
- social intelligence
- Justice
- citizenship
- fairness
- leadership
- Temperance
- forgiveness/mercy
- humility
- prudence
- self-regulation
- Transcendence
- appreciation of beauty and excellence
- gratitude
- hope
- humor
- spirituality
