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Graduate School of Coaching Training
Class 2711 - Coaching Proficiency #11:Champions the Client
January 21, 2003 - 9:00 p.m. EST
Susan Austin, Instructor

Susan: … I’ll try to get the chart up today for everyone. On the left side is ‘believing in the client’, and the theory is that the more you believe in the client, the more the championing will ring true. Along the bottom, it’s ‘speaking to the significance for them’. You don’t just tell them what a great job it is, you’ll want to talk to them in specifics on this proficiency. Basically, there are 4 levels of championing we’ve identified. They are:

1 – congratulate the client on what they did
2 – compliment them on what it took
3 – cheerlead who they are
4 – champion what it means and why it matters.

Most coaches don’t go to the highest level, if you will. Anyway, welcome to you all – apparently one of the graphs is missing from the website; I’ll make sure it’s up there by the end of the day. This is class #2711 on proficiency #11. I’d like to start to ask what does the word ‘champion’ mean for you?

XXX: It means being there for them to – it provides them positive energy levels to keep going and feel like they’re on the right track.

Susan: Okay. So you’re saying you do it as you go along?

XXX: Right.

Susan: Okay, good.

XXX: I think it was Thomas who made the analogy of the coach at the top of the mountain encouraging the client at the bottom, and the client doesn’t really believe they can reach the summit and the coach believes they can.

Susan: And tie it into ‘champion’…

XXX: That you believe the client can do more than they’d ever believe they could do on their own.

Susan: So that belief is what the championing is?

XXX: Yeah; it’s like ‘you can do it, I know you can’.

Susan: Yes; that’s an interesting analogy. The funny thing about the championing – and we’ve had different opinions about that – the question has been brought up whether you championing while they’re at the bottom of the mountain to lift them up, or do you champion them when they’re halfway up to get them up further, or do you champion them when they make it to the top of the mountain?

XXX: Yes to all of the above! (laugh)

Susan: See? (laugh) when I originally did this, I think I was implying that they had to do something of some sort, but now I see it as just walking to the base of the mountain might be enough. Others have argued that you can’t champion unless they do something.

XXX: I think it’s about their willingness to try.

XXX: Yeah, and for me it’s also what is perfect in the moment, and championing the client is holding a mirror to the client and showing them how wonderful the moment is.

Susan: Are you talking about the clients themselves?

XXX: The concept is in CoachVille of seeing perfection in every situation; wherever the client is, you can champion them by pointing that out, and what the significance is of that.

XXX: In the corporate world, a champion is a little bit different. It’s the willingness to go ahead of you and open doors and just kind of believe in you.

Susan: Very good; I hadn’t thought about that angle, but that’s very true.

XXX: I think on one side is the belief always that the client can accomplish anything; on the other side, it’s a result to something. Are we taking in both sides of the coin?

Susan: Could you say more about the 2nd side of the coin?

XXX: A result of some kind of action.

Susan: You champion to some result?

XXX: Yes.

Susan: Yes, and I personally believe it’s broad enough to encompass both. Something I see a lot with this proficiency is almost ‘hype-y’ championing; it doesn’t feel as real as it could. As a general rule with this proficiency, there’s something that gets off a little bit – it sometimes just doesn’t land as well as it could.

XXX: I was with a consulting client the other day and another person was being coached by someone else. They both had to give presentations, and at the end of the day, the other coach said they did a great job when they really didn’t. As we’re talking about championing versus cheerleading, I think there really is a difference, and it has to ring true. We can only inspire belief if they believe what they hear in our cheerleading.

Susan: Yes; sometimes the client will say something, and the coach will say, ‘Wow!’ and there’s just something behind it. at an adult level, I think the championing needs to be more sophisticated.

XXX: What I think you’re describing sounds to me as close to being manipulative; I think you’re right that if the client suspects for a minute that you’re putting them on, you’ve got a real problem with the relationship. I have a couple of clients that I work very hard not to give them compliments.

XXX: This reminds me of something I read about the difference between belief and knowing – I think cheerleading is belief, and the championing is the knowing; there’s no doubt, it just is.

Susan: It’s almost like a quieter action; if you know it, you don’t need to prop up the client with a lot of rah-rah. When you champion the client, it is a personal process. Some coaches will be relentless championers, and others will be more quiet about it. it’s up to you as a coach to gauge that. Thomas champions extremely well, but he’ll do it very quietly.

XXX: It’s sort of confirming your own belief.

XXX: Yes; one of the things I’ve differentiated is that the cheerleader is not – as a coach, we’re collaborative partners in the process.

Susan: Yes, very good. Why do you think championing is so important?

XXX: There are so many people out there willing to dash your hopes. When you come to a coach, you’re looking for somebody to believe in you and stretch you. That’s what I go to a coach for.

Susan: Yeah, they’re not getting this elsewhere are they?

XXX: Certainly not at the level that makes it a partner, versus an assumed role. You want a partner who truly believes in that.

Susan: Yes.

XXX: And also not have any vested interest in the outcome.

Susan: Yeah!

Julia: There’s another part with clients where they don’t want to own their greatness or achievements; they’ll just zoom right past it. as a coach, you hold that moment there for them and help them recognize it.

Susan: Yes, and you make a good point. Our clients have successes – both big and little – and you’re building the foundation then, if you will. Their wins are the bricks, but it’s really the championing that is the mortar between the bricks. If you don’t have that, a lot of times the client will think it’s a nice thing they’ve accomplished.

XXX: I really like that analogy.

XXX: Something else I’ve been thinking about – I think where this becomes really powerful is that families have listening for each other, and people can’t clear those listenings to open up to pure possibility. We as coaches come in to a clean slate and can create all those possibilities.

Susan: That’s a good point; one other thing I see with this proficiency is that our clients are sort of re-inventing themselves. it’s not like they’re just staying stagnant – they don’t need championing if they’re not going anywhere. How many times now does a person switch careers? In my parent’s generation, you had one career and that was it. Now, people are switching their identities and changing roles and I think championing is so needed.

XXX: I think that championing does, if you think of a person’s development as a set of stairs, you’re building the foundation under them each time they step up.

Susan: Very good; it kind of speaks to the fact that even if they haven’t taken that first step, you champion them to get them started. Okay, so how do you know when to champion? What is it that triggers you to champion the client? Or, when do your clients need to be championed?

Kate: I’m thinking back to a couple of recent clients; when I find myself sitting there going, ‘Holy cow!’ I think that’s a good time. But it’s also when they’ve accomplished something or are feeling deflated – I think there are lots of opportunities.

Susan: Great; who else? When is it obvious that a client needs championing?

XXX: When they’ve taken steps forward but are still at the base of the mountain.

Susan: And they’re already stuck or they’re just beginning the journey?

XXX: Yeah, because usually they’ve had to get over something just to get to the mountain.

Susan: Very good.

XXX: When they’re at the base of the mountain and just starting out, their support system isn’t probably totally set – we can be part of the team that can move them forward.

Susan: Okay, very good. I think also if the client is almost at the top of the mountain you would want to champion them too; I think we’re agreeing that at all phases you can champion the client. Let’s talk a little about how you champion. There are actually 3 different ways you can do that:

1- Identify the significance of what it means for the client – I think this is the key to the more sophisticated.
2 - Share your excitement and awe – with all the stuff your clients have going on, just picking up the phone and calling you to work on something, that’s pretty amazing.
3 – not ask for the next step. When you champion, you do not want to ask for the next step; that’s another proficiency. If you do, you take away from the championing.

As a coach, it’s better to have multiple styles of coaching so you can adjust to different types of clients.

Karen: What is the difference – and there might not be any – between acknowledging and championing?

Susan: Someone want to take a shot at that?

Joan: for me, acknowledging is a simple statement of the facts, where championing, for me, gets into identifying specifics and talking about what the meaning of that is.

Susan: And that’s the key. For example, I worked with a coach in Seattle who’d just recently run a marathon and I championed her. So, I championed the fact of what it took physically to do that, but what I didn’t do was to ask her what running that marathon meant to her. I acknowledged the fact that I thought it was cool, but it turned out that when I didn’t stop and ask her what that meant to her, I didn’t champion her. When I finally asked, it wasn’t running the marathon that was big for her, but the fact that she actually finished something that she started because she’d had problems.

XXX: So it’s sharing both sides of the feelings?

Susan: Yes, and that’s key, and that’s why this is kind of a personal one. You want to find out what this means to them and have them answer that.

XXX: Excellent; thank you.

Susan: I say we go ahead and do a role-play because you’ll see the variety – everyone champions different and it gives you a great chance to see all the different ways coaches have of championing their clients. I’m going to ask for a volunteer; what I’m looking for is someone who’s in the middle of a huge change or project and you could use some championing. If you’d like some championing, now’s the time to volunteer.

Janet: I’ll pick something everyone can relate to; I’ve been on a weight loss program since July and I’m 2 pounds to my goal and just can’t lose those last 2 pounds to save my life.

Susan: Okay, good. I want you to talk a bit longer about what it’s been like for the last 6 months; go a bit deeper with where you’re at.

Janet: I’m 40 years old, never dieted in my life and have been the same size up until the last year where I put on about 25-30 pounds, with nothing changed in my lifestyle. I didn’t eat for emotional needs, I just enjoyed food. I decided that I wanted to try to be more understanding of how I eat, rather than dieting – I wanted to understand food intake and portion size; that was my focus to educate myself. As the weight came off, I kept getting reinforcement from people, and now I’m just at a plateau and have lost the motivation. The goal is so close, and I want some encouragement to really do it.

I just want to go around the room a little bit. I’m curious – what are some different entry points for championing? If Janet was your client, where would you go from here?

XXX: I would champion her ability to take on educating herself about food and find out what she’s learned and what it’s done for her.

XXX: And I would ask about the significance of what it means to her.

Susan: Yes, and most clients won’t take this step naturally. We can really hit this home for Janet; I don’t think she’s really landed on the significance of it.

XXX: I really want to affirm the way you’ve gone about this; it’s been something from within yourself – I heard that loud and clear – and it was a goal you pursued steadily.

Janet: I like that one!

Susan: Who else? How would you champion this client?

XXX: I would champion how she really took control of the situation and lost the weight in a way that was really healthy.

XXX: I think that was a great point, and I’d like to build on that. Here she’s done this incredible thing that many people find hard to do – find something wrong and then actually do something about it – and would talk about accessing that motivation to take that to the next step. I guess that’s really not championing.

Susan: Yes, and it’s a very natural thing to want to do.

XXX: I think just being in awe of the fact that so many people struggle with this, and diets really don’t work. You knew that wasn’t the route to take and educated yourself and stayed consistent with that all along – I just find that incredible.

Susan: And what do you find incredible?

XXX: It takes a huge commitment and approaching every day with unwavering commitment.

Susan: Can you take what you just said and weave it through your own personal experience and make it a more personal share, if you will?

XXX: Sure. I’m just sitting here in goosebumps, because I’m in a similar situation. Most of my life I had to work to put on weight, then slowly it’s been creeping up over the last year and now I’m 40 pounds heavier. Now I’m in the position of not being able to control my eating habits. I realize that it’s a commitment every single day.

Susan: Okay, let’s tie it into what Janet shared and how that affected you. I want you to connect the dots for the client. How did what Janet is going through affect you personally?

XXX: It renewed my commitment. Here is someone who just did what it took – which is something we all know, but don’t do. It was absolutely inspirational.

Susan: Janet, how did that land?

Janet: It was great because it not only makes me feel better about what I’ve done, but also it makes me feel like I have a partner who’s also achieving a similar goal. Now there’s a sharing of having a mutual goal.

XXX: And to me what is awe-inspiring is not losing the weight, but it’s having that commitment being met on a daily basis.

Susan: Let’s just ask Janet to talk for a couple minutes about why – I want to hear what Janet says the significance of this is.

XXX: I think it’s what does it mean to you about what you’ve accomplished so far.

Susan: Yes; you’re right. It’s not the weight loss, but it’s an underlying shift or growth, and I want to hear what that was/is.

Janet: I think it helped me grow, knowing that I had more control and more knowledge – it was more like it didn’t happen overnight, it’s not going away overnight, but you can gain control. Then it became a permanent lifestyle change.

Susan: And why does it matter to you?

Janet: I don’t know. I guess it helps me respect me; I’m always doing for everyone and I don’t mind that, but this is something where I could put me first for a change.

XXX: Very powerful.

Susan: And did you notice, who did the work on that one? Janet did. When it’s done right, the client will self-champion, in a way.

Janet: And I never really thought about it until you asked that question.

Susan: The feeling of the weight loss will eventually just die out, but she’ll have this to fall back on and feel good about and, as we said earlier, build up on the stairs.

XXX: Would it be championing the client if you asked them what they wanted to do to celebrate the win?

Susan: I don’t have a problem if it’s the right win. Actually, I’m going to backtrack – I almost am going to say it’s not appropriate because it’s almost a distraction.

XXX: To me, it seems superficial.

Susan: You don’t need to celebrate it if it’s the truth. Janet, what do you think?

Janet: Actually, in real time, I did something to celebrate and with you talking, I remembered that. In September I enrolled in a belly dancing class; I would’ve never done that before. It really dawned on me that I could do something else for me, too.

Susan: Again, clients don’t naturally do this, but I think it’s enough to have the client land on that significance. There is no need to do any kind of fanfare at all. It can really be a quiet process sometimes.

XXX: I think you’ve really gained a tremendous amount.

XXX: And I hear that Janet has gained so much – a body of knowledge, for one thing, and the self-respect and self-image.

Janet: And I think that’s why the last 2 pounds aren’t coming off; I feel like I’ve accomplished what I set out to do – I got that and more.

Susan: I would point out that championing will do a lot more as the client sits with this, and if it’s done right, the client will almost let go of that 2 pounds naturally. We don’t want to use this to get the client to see something or do something that’ll get in the way of the championing.

XXX: What you’re sharing is that the weight coming off allowed all of this other to flow in.

Susan: Janet, I just want to give you a moment so you have closure on this.

Janet: Now I feel motivated just because of all this. I appreciate the support everybody!

Susan: Okay, I want to hear where you’re at with this and how this is helpful to you.

Karen: I’m getting a sense of the all-encompassing way that championing works.

XXX: When I came in, I thought championing was easy – it’s knowing when to stop, it’s knowing how to ask them about it, and so on. It’s very subtle.

Susan: Good; who else?

XXX: I really love how you pointed out it’s a client thing.

Susan: And you don’t have to work hard for this one. This is a more laid-back approach that can be extremely powerful. Okay, well thank you all, and thank you again Janet for stepping up. Bye now!



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