What will take your coaching to the next level?

One of the key reasons I entered the world of coaching was to be in a profession that would continually challenge me to be better. I don’t believe the phrase “rest on your laurels” exists in the coaching space for coaches and for sure not for clients.

We are learning and growing beings.

If that’s the case, what will take your coaching to the next level? I’ve observed a lot of coaching sessions as a Mentor Coach and I have an idea. It’s to lean more into your intuition. This is going to sound a little radical because many of us are ICF-certified coaches and it’s drilled into us to follow the client’s lead. Don’t direct the client.

All of that is true. But…

There’s also this ICF coaching competency.

Uses awareness of self and one’s intuition to benefit clients

It’s under the section titled Embodies a Coaching Mindset.

For some reason, I’ve seen time and again that coaches hear their intuition talking, but don’t allow it to come into the coaching space. As you think about this, remember that there’s also this competency.

Shares observations, insights and feelings, without attachment, that have the potential to create new learning for the client

It’s under the section titled Evokes Awareness.

I think it’s perfectly okay to share what you’re thinking as long as you don’t attach to it as the reality of what’s transpiring. This is an area of growth for many of us who are accomplished late-career professionals in that we are confident and feel good about our ideas. Thus, we could probably accept that we should follow our intuition more in a coaching session, but detaching from the value of our intuition may be hard. I speak from my personal experience here.

I was told years ago by a manager that he didn’t like hearing my new ideas because I was too attached emotionally to them. That then made him feel bad when it came time to say no to yet another idea I’d come up with. Aha! This makes sharing my ideas and detaching from them difficult.

If it’s not difficult for you, great. Then tap more into that intuition you have during coaching sessions. Listen to that voice inside that’s indicating what’s really going on here at a deeper level. What’s not being said that you’re hearing anyway?

Hope this is helpful to you! Want to learn more about coaching? Read our article on, “One simple change that could positively affect your coaching business.”

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