Sleeve Notes
It's OK, this blog isn't about the class system!
It's about common sense and how important it is in the coaching environment.
After 20 years of coaching, utilising a common sense approach has helped my clients to cut through what they deem to be a potentially complex scenario and reach realistic, practical and purposeful solutions.
Side 1 - Some benefits of your Coach using a common sense approach
Supports practical & realistic decision making, comparing risks and rewards.
Keeps clients grounded and rational. (You can still dream inbetween!)
Helps clients to see potential consequences of their actions.
Makes the client's life easier.
Offers a balance of empathy and challenge.
Asks clients to visualise the situation from other peoples' perspectives.
Encourages celebration of successes and supports learning from things that haven't gone so well.
Identifies helpful/unhelpful language.
Helps clients reach acceptance of things out of their sphere of influence and control.
Explores what's REALLY important to the client & encourages them to make it happen.
Focuses on evidence and facts.
Keeps it enjoyable, based on the client's needs. (Coaching shouldn't feel like a chore!)
Side 2 - Some scenarios could get in the way of common sense...
Too much logical thinking, where a 'heart' decision is a better solution.
Endless dreaming when reality needs to kick in.
Jumping to conclusions before having facts and evidence at hand.
Making assumptions about people because of previous experiences or media influences, for example.
Lack of exposure to different types of everyday life.
Relying too much on search engine answers and not communicating with people.
Fixation on intellectual responses where a common sense approach would work better.
Stuck in short term thinking, not considering wider & future implications.
Side 3 - Some common sense questions to ask yourself
Why am I doing this?
Why is it important to me?
How will it benefit me?
What will happen if I don't do it?
How will it benefit others?
How do I engage and get others on board?
What or whose support do I need?
Where will I get useful feedback from?
What will I do with this feedback?
When do I expect to see results?
How will I adapt if it's not working?
Side 4 - Age and common sense
Common sense is a life skill, it doesn't just happen. You may have to work harder at it than any qualification you are studying for.
Some are more exposed to common sense than others, age doesn't come into it.
We can go through our whole of lives without it, learn lots when we are young, or it could be a gradual process throughout our lives.
The Download
Coaches will have degrees, diplomas, hours of training etc. All of course are valid tools to demonstrate one's experience.
Yes, I've had the training too and got a few 'badges' along the way, but nothing is more golden than the real experiences I've had as a Facilitator and Coach of behavioural development in the last 20 years.
Yes, I'm going to say this - there comes a time where learning needs to stop and the doing needs to start! (What this actually means is your learning now takes place on the job!).
That's certainly where I have learnt the most about coaching individuals.
All of this brings me back to what has made the biggest impact with my clients. This is a 'common sense coaching' approach. Keeping it down to earth, realistic and 'light' (not onerous or a chore for the client in other words).
This approach helps my clients cut through perceived complications, make sense of their worlds and move forward in life, at a pace that suits them.
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