3 Little Words That Can Change Everything- Core Competency #6
Coaching Core Competency $6 is: Listens Actively.
At Bridges Coaching, we explore two pillars of coaching - Active Listening and Asking Powerful Questions. Our focus today is the former and needs to come first.
Here are a few clarifying facts about Active Listening:
- Active Listening is the opposite of Passive Listening (which is exactly what you are thinking it is.)
- Active Listening is perhaps the best way to love someone.
- Active LIstening is serving someone else. It shows them that their words are important and valuable, and their thoughts are worthy of being expressed fully.
- Active Listening requires intent focus, not just waiting your turn nicely.
- Active LIstening is truly curious.
- Active LIstening is a way to partner with the Holy Spirit to trust that God is indwelling the person speaking.
Think about it. When someone truly listens to you, you feel important, cared for, and valuable. When you are processing something and someone lets you...
Giving The Gift Everyone Wants - Core Competency #5
Coaching Core Competency #5. Maintains Presence.
We all want it but struggle to give it. Presence.
I'm not going to go on a rant about social media. Social media is like sugar - too much and it's not healthy, but you need to decide how much and when you indulge. Granted social media is one of the biggest distractions that keeps us all from giving focused attention, but it is only one of them.
In our Coaching Culture training, we delve into metacognition and take a look at what kinds of self-talk are happening while we are trying to listen. Want to join us? Can you think of a conversation you have had where one or more of these thoughts is going on in your head while the other person is sharing?
- I can't believe they are sharing this with me again... if I have to listen through this all one. more. time...
- I went through the same thing, only worse, shall I share it with them?
- I wonder what we should have for dinner.
- I actually don't "have a minute" right now. How can I ask them to...
The #1 Enemy Of Trust And Safety - Coaching Core Competency #4
Coaching Core Competency #4 is Cultivates Safety and Trust
It's just natural to judge. If we are honest we all have thoughts about others. We think they should move faster, prioritize differently, be more at peace, have more fun, or be more focused... and the list could go on!
We are all uniquely designed! (You can learn more about that here if you like. We are planning a new cohort launch soon!) We all have differing strengths and weaknesses, different callings and priorities.
If you have kids or grandkids it is quite evident. Some are quiet, some are competitive, some are artistic, and some are naturally funny. God did that. He made us all different.
And then He gave us free will.
Some of us go after goals hard and fast and others choose to focus on enjoying life. Neither is right or wrong if they are not in an extreme.
So what does this all mean in coaching?
As we explore Core Competency #4 Cultivates Safety and Trust, it means we provide a place where the...
Did You Miss It As Bad As I Did? Unpacking Core Competency #3
Core Competency #3: Establishes and Maintains Coaching Agreements
Full disclosure I didn't get this one as clearly as I get it now till after the course I designed called Next Level Coach Training. It was kind of embarrassing, and I was kind of doing it right, but this competency is the one I learned about most from the Mentor Coaches who work with our trainees in this course.
Our entry-level coach training, Coaching Culture, offers Life Coach certification and in that course we focus on making sure coaches know how to set up a contract for engaging an actual client. We work through a Welcome Packet and talk through what a session should look like.
I used to think that was the majority of what it meant to have a quality coaching agreement, but we were just getting started. This is simply the first part of this competency - establishing a coaching agreement.
I had been trained to offer the client choices on their focus and to define what we were going to talk about. Then...
The "Sexy" Coaching Core Competency #1
Coaching, as an industry, is not just a loosey-goosey way of conversational growth. There are specific guidelines called "Competencies" that are the foundation for what coaching entails, both in the secular applications and in Christian arenas.
The gold standard for coaching is the International Coaching Federation (ICF), they set the standards for credentialing worldwide. Bridges Coaching has chosen to align with Christian Coaches Network International (CCNI) which extrapolates all the ICF Coaching Core Competencies sharing how they are Biblical-based and used to forward the kingdom.
At Bridges Coaching we believe coaching makes disciples not dependents and in this coaching competencies series, we will dig into why we feel so strongly about that statement.
The first Core Competency is "Demonstrates Ethical Practice". In know, "Sexy" right? But the truth is that without ethical practice, coaching is just loosey-goosey.
Not everyone who says they are a coach...