Who Offers Them A Plan... GOOD NEWS! (and hard news...)
Wouldn't you just love it if you could see someone who would just tell you what to do when you were in a jam? If they were sage and savvy and could come through every time it would be well worth the investment.
GOOD NEWS! (and hard news...)
Here's the skinny. We DO have Someone we can go to for the plan! Our plan! Our personal best next steps!
The Holy Spirit IS our Guide! The coaching conversation helps us discern the plan God has for us.Ā Proverbs 4:11 says, "IĀ amĀ guidingĀ youĀ in the way of wisdom, andĀ IĀ amĀ leadingĀ youĀ on the right path."
Experience tells us it is not that easy though. So the good news is we DO have a Divine Guide, the hard news is we have to grow in learning how to discern. I don't know about you, but I swing that pendulum back and forth. Sometimes I am so sure that what I am sensing is the plan turns out not to work out. Does that mean I missed it? Or was it just a test? Other times I am paralyzed with concern or fear, or the cost seems too high and the decision ...
Who Meets A Guide (who understands their fear)
Let's review our first steps in comparingĀ StoryBrand marketing and Coaching.
First, we talked about how the conversation needs to be about the person being coached. They are the main character in the story we are writing together.
Next, we talked about the problem. One of the big differences between a coaching conversation and just "friending" is that we are purposefully focusing on a chosen outcome that the person being coached wants to focus on!
Next up is today's focus: who meets a guide who understands their fear.Ā
Here are some of theĀ fears that good coachingĀ helps peopleĀ recognize:
- feeling stuck with no way out
- not knowing what to do, or even if there is anything that can be done
- feeling abandoned by God and others
- questioning if there is even hope for the future
In Bridges coaching, we talk about the Always Circle and associated lies. There's ALWAYS going to be stuff. God ALWAYS offers a plan. We ALWAYS make choices. Uncovering the associated lies is like realizing ...
Decisions Come From One of Two Places
In our journey of coaching people better by knowing their Myers-Briggs makeup our third letters are T & F, for Thinking and Feeling. (First, we had I/E for Introversion and ExtroversionĀ and then N/S for INtuitive and Sensor,)
Do you know your letters?
I'm an INTJ - Introverted INtuitive Thinker and Judger (more on the 4th letters next time). My husband is ENFJ, so I know a lot about the other letters since we differ on almost all of them.Ā
Let's talk about T & F. Thinking and Feeling refers to how we make our decisions. Thinkers make decisions from logic. I used to think Feelers made their decisions from emotion and that bothered me because emotions can change, but turns out I was wrong. Feelers make their decisions based on values. Let me explain.
Thinkers look at the facts. They calculate efficiency and cost for effect while factoring in variables to come up with what they feel is the best (most logical) option.
Feelers look at the values. They consider who will be affected and...
What Kind Of An "Aha" Are You Looking For?
Coaching Core Competency #7: Evokes Awareness
Have you ever heard people talking about an "Aha" moment? They look different for different people and even different for the same person at different times.
Here are a few I can think of:
- "Oh, that's what I should do!"
- "I see now, I am believing a lie, that's what has been holding me back!"
- "Yeah, I need to wait on that."
-"What if I just started with one small step?"
-"Maybe I should get some help with that."
These are all actually "Aha" moments I have had personally. Here are a few more:
"I see a pattern here... IĀ have thought that before."
"Oh! God wants to reveal Himself to me in a new way here!"
"I think I just need to try it and see if it works."
Aha moments are most often preceded by two things: a powerful question and space to talk it out.
The Coaching industry uses the words "powerful questions", at Bridges we often say "empowering questions" and lately I have been taking it a little further and saying "insightf...