Working Genius & Coaching [Wonder]
Wonder is the first in the lineup for Working Genius.
Wonder is the start of .... well....everything. Nothing new starts without this essential first step.
People with the Working Genius of Wonder have a natural tendency to think of new versions of what is or completely new ideas of what could be. In short, they have a propensity to see what might be out there.
I like to think of wonder thoughts as seeds. Planters often have a lot more seeds than actually take root, but without seeds, there can be no plants.
If you have a client who has this genius they will easily dream about possibilities and depending on their second genius they may, or may not, need direction in choosing which dreams to pursue.
Clients who have Wonder as a frustration (one of their two lowest-scoring geniuses) will likely have difficulty, or be frustrated coming up with dreams or potential long-term goals. I see this all the time with faithful people who are truly put out by thoughts for their retirement, or...
Working Genius & Coaching [Intro]
I've been following Patrick Lencioni for years so when he came out with the Working Genius assessment in 2020 and said it was his "magnum opus", I paid attention. (If you don't know of him he literally wrote the book - actually a series of books - on business leadership and teamwork. His books have changed my life and the lives of many!
His newest work, Working Genius, is an assessment tool that helps people identify their God-given design. As people learn what makes them tick they can find their best placement on any team. A wise leader has people placed where they fit best and do what they love.
Working Genius actually breaks down the process of any project into 6 categories. Lencioni says, "Every job is a 6 letter job." And then the premise of Working Genius is that each person has two letters that are their "genius", defined as something they love to do and do easily and without effort. Then there are two letters that are competences, you can do them, but they aren't your favori...
How To Redirect "Rehashing" For Yourself And Others
Rehashing is actually a thing. The definition of rehash is "to discuss again without significant change".
We do it all the time. We talk about how something is really hard and we can't really do anything about it. We justify being stuck and excuse ourselves from finding a way to move forward.
It feels legit when we do it, but it can feel annoying when someone else does it.
You know. you have this friend, client, co-worker, or family member, and they just keep circling around the same topic. The conversation is almost verbatim. You ask how things are going, and they tell you the same thing they said last time.
"What's new?", you say.
"Not much," they reply. And they tell you about their situation again...
If I'm honest though, I do the same thing! I get in a rut in my thinking and feel like I have explored all the angles and there is just no way out.
It's sad really. There is no hope when our perspective is like that.
It feels like the situation is truly insurmountable and th...
Is Coaching Even Biblical? [Final]
We've been talking about coaching and the biblical model for growth.
We started with how God wants to interact with people directly.
Next we talked about adult learning, "Aha" moments and discipleship.
And finally, today, we will focus on how God made each of us differently.
We are really big on this at Bridges, we even have an entire course on discovering your Destiny by Design!
1 Corinthians 12 is one place we see God sharing about our individual design.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. 6 And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do.
There are many more places in the Bible that talk about our individuality. Some of us are more evangelistic and some are more inclined to teach or to serve. Later in 1 Corinthians 12 people are compared to being different body parts and accepting who they...
Is Coaching Even Biblical? [More]
Firsts are important. First impressions set the tone for how relationships are going to role. First interactions set a foundation for protocol.
Let's take a quick look at God's first corrective teaching interaction with man. When Adam and Ever first messed up in the garden and ate the forbidden fruit, God could have given them a lecture about listening. He could have sat them down and taught them about follow-through.
Instead, God offered them an "Aha" moment. An "Aha" moment is an example of adult learning - where people come to an understanding of something on their own rather than being told by someone else. I believe God asked Adam a question to help him come to a personal realization. God asked, "Where are you?" Adam answered that he was hiding because he was afraid.
God didn't ask because he didn't know where Adam was or what he had done. He asked for Adam's sake.
Adam could then move forward and deal with where he was at.
When Job went through all the stuff God waited wh...
Is Coaching Even Biblical? [Part 1]
A pastor friend of mine recently told me that a mentor of his mentioned that he wasn't even sure coaching was biblical. I actually understand that question.
Many people, pastors even, don't really know what coaching is.
And if I'm completely honest, I really wish there was a different word than coaching for that very reason. It gets confusing. Many people think coaching is telling others what to do in a kind, but direct, way. Coaching, as we align with at Bridges, is quite different.
(If you aren't sure how to define coaching please click here and maybe even here before reading on...)
Coaches help people learn to discern what God is prompting them to think and do. It's much easier to weigh in and tell people what you think they should do. Maybe you have been through a similar situation and you feel you should just spare them the difficulty and give them your solution.
But what if...
What if God has a different plan for their journey?
Of course, there are times when it is appr...
Rethinking and Prethinking - The Crucial 4 Steps
Ever wish you could have a do-over? Maybe it was something you said or did, or maybe something you didn't say or didn't do. Whatever it was, you wish it didn't happen the way it did?
We're all human so it happens sometimes...
Some people choose never to look back. "No regrets," they say, but perhaps this isn't the best approach. If we can't learn from what has happened how can we ever show up the way we really want to be?
I propose the Rethink and Prethink method.
It goes like this.
1- You have a nagging thought that you wish something had gone differently. You choose not to stuff it, but to ask God to help you see what He has for you in it.
2- You choose to explore what happened. You lean into processing what caused you to say or do whatever you have concerns about. You explore your emotions and how you were triggered. You'll probably need to work through some hurt and likely forgiveness will be involved - receiving and giving. (for more on this step check out 4 Key Steps to...
But Seriously, Have You Ever Considered Coach Training...
Coach training isn't just for aspiring coaches, (but we have launched plenty into private practice.)
Do you have:
- conversations with friends that you wish would actually help them feel more confident?
- direct reports you wish were growing more?
- children you want to help mature to make healthy Godly decisions?
- aging parents who need respect, but also need to weigh transitional decisions?
- adult children you care about but don't want to interfere?
The Coaching Culture comes alongside your relational connections and gives you tools to be more effectual in helping people discern what God has for them.
What would it be worth to you to be able to help people help themselves?
What if there were overarching principles that could help people engage with owning their own situations and next steps?
Learning the skills of active listening and how to ask empowering questions can take your everyday conversations to a next level. Coaching culture helps you help others help themselves get ...
How NOT To Use Coaching As A Leader/Boss!
When coaching a client or a friend, it's important that the person being coached chooses the focus. They decide what goal they want to move forward toward and what their next steps will be.
Not so with business.
Well, not completely anyway.
Gone are the days when the "boss" tells people what to do and how to do it. No one wants to work there, but at times I have seen the pendulum swing completely the other way.
In some circles, there is a lack of clarity on how goals should be set and who should be setting them. Some leaders simply leave the work to the workers and "respect" what they choose to focus on. This is not coaching. Some would even call it distancing, or even neglect.
ENTER Patrick Lencioni and The Advantage.
The concepts he promotes in this book are over-arching if you are a leader of anything really, maybe even just your own home or your own life. He proposes every leadership team take time to make a list of their core objectives. For a business that could mean diffe...
Ten Reasons Coaching Works Better Than Telling
People have stuff!
How you handle it makes all the difference!
Do you feel like you need to have answers for people?
Or maybe you actually do have answers but they don't seem to be listening.
Here are 10 reasons coaching works better than telling!
10) You don’t have to know everything for everyone.
Leaders who tell have to know what’s best for every situation and for each person to be effective. That’s a lot of stuff to know! (And what if you aren’t right?)
9) People love it when you focus on them.
Active listening is the highest form of loving someone. When the focus is on the other person there is a lot less pressure on the coach to solve issues. It is way easier to be curious, trust the Holy Spirit, and listen than to have to diagnose and prescribe.
8) Relationship trumps regimen every time.
God designed us to be in relationship with Him and others. When we reduce leadership to telling people what to do, we can easily “cookie cutter” people by categorizing them and off...