Graduate School of Coaching | Class #04 Enjoys the Client Immensely

Graduate School of Coaching
Certified Coach Training from CoachVille
Proficiency #04. Learning Guide
Enjoys the Client Immensely

Introduction
How To Enjoy Your Client Immensely
Yes, we know this sounds a bit 'bland,' and rightfully you may be wondering what a training topic like this is doing in the School of Coaching. And, it's one of the most powerful of the 15 Coaching Proficiencies. Why? Because to get to this level of collaborative relationship with your client, yet still have an edge and be effective with them, calls for a fairly high level skill set and awareness level. That's all we're going to say at this point but if you find yourself trying too hard with clients, being frustrated by them, wishing they would move faster, be more self generating or put into action what they are learning, then this one hour training will prove beneficial.

What is the purpose of this Learning Guide?
To broaden the understanding of this key coaching proficiency and how mastering it brings a more powerful experience to coaching - for you and for your client. By mastering this coaching proficiency, you'll be that much closer to passing the Certified Coach exam.

During the one-hour overview TeleClass, the instructor will cover the following...
1. The guiding principles of enjoying your client immensely.
2. How to enjoy your client even more.
3. How to know when you're NOT enjoying your client.
4. Setting boundaries.
5. The benefits - to you and your client - of you mastering this proficiency.

What are the guiding principles of enjoying the client immensely?
1. Enjoy yourself first.
In order to really enjoy someone else and all their quirks, you have to be able to appreciate and enjoy your own first. If you don't, you'll end up judging them even without meaning to. It all starts with you.

2. Know that everyone is doing their best at any given time.
By knowing this you eliminate any pressure you might put on the client. This doesn't mean you don't help hold them to a higher standard. It means you trust that the greatest wisdom is from within them. Honoring this can actually free the client to move forward immensely.

3. Be fully present.
You must get out of your own way and let go of your need to add value or show what a great coach you are. The focus needs to be on them, completely.

4. Be interested vs. being interesting.
Again, the focus is on the client. Be genuinely curious. Avoid the temptation to ask too many questions or probing too deeply without rapport. As you discover more about them and who they are, you will find lots to compliment them on and encourage them about.

5. Come from love.
Simply loving the client is probably the fastest way to creating a safe environment for the client to move forward. When you come from love you set your own agenda aside, which creates the space for the client to really move forward.

What are the general truths about enjoying the client immensely?
1. Performance suffers when the client perceives frustration or less than our total enjoyment.
2. Trust is increased via enjoyment.
3. Immense enjoyment is contagious.

How does accepting yourself and accepting the client more help you enjoy the client more?

How can you enjoy your client even more?

Clarify the relationship.
Clarifying the relationship can eliminate the "performance" burden for you and the client. It can establish mutually agreed upon expectations. And it helps you and the client form a partnership, working collaboratively toward their goals.

Handle the root cause.
If you are not enjoying the client, identify the root causes of why. Often just asking for a change, establishing policies, and automating payments can eliminate the root cause of the lack of enjoyment.

Grow yourself.
Become reaction-free. Get super comfortable with yourself. Learn to enjoy yourself - it will make it much easier to enjoy others.

When you come to enjoy the client immensely, you will stop judging, doubting, and reacting to the client. Instead you will experience enjoyment, collaboration, and an absence of dread.

What are some other pointers?

1. Appreciation
Look for what you appreciate in your client, in the coaching experience with them. Tell them what you appreciate about them. Not only will it build rapport, make them feel good and more open, they will probably tell you what they appreciate about you as well. Gotta like that!

2. See Perfection
See perfection in everything that happens - even your own "mistakes". This helps make it OK for your client to be going through whatever they are going through. Acknowledging the perfection eliminates judgment and opens the door to possibility and options.

3. Get curious
See the guiding principles above.

4. Enjoy the Moment
When you enjoy the moment, your client can sense it. You are the model for them to follow.

5. Think of it as Empowerment.
By thinking of enjoying your client as a form of empowerment, you have the incentive to actually do it. How much easier would coaching be (for you and your client) if you simply enjoyed it? How empowering would that be?

6. Enjoy the Pace
Coaches evolve pretty quickly. Most clients, they because they're not in the same levels of environments, move much much slower. Their seemingly slow pace of development is right for them. Enjoy the ease and the change it offers from your own normal, fast-paced growth. Celebrate each change with them.

What are12 ways to enjoy your client immensely?

How do you know when you are NOT enjoying the client?
Seems obvious, but sometimes we get so caught up in adding value that we don't notice the warning signs.
1. You feel like you are doing all the work.
In other words, when you take on more of the responsibility for coaching than they do. This is the sure-fire way to lead to disappointment, resentment, and/or not having fun.
2. You dread their coaching call.
Duh.
3. You feel drained after the call rather than energized.
Coaching your clients should be an energizing, inspiring experience for you. After all, that's part of why you do it, right?
4. There's a mismatch.
When you cannot engage with them, either there's a mismatch going on, or they are done coaching with you.
5. You are frustrated with their "stuckness".
Whenever you are frustrated, that's a good sign that you are not enjoying your client. What's that frustration about for you? How could you employ one of the guiding principles or ways of enjoying your client to shift your energy?
6. Pay attention.
If you are not already, just pay attention to how you feel when you think about that particular client. Are you pleased or annoyed? Curious or frustrated? Peaceful or drained? Your own feelings are the perfect indicator of how much you are enjoying your client.

What are the benefits of enjoying your client immensely?
(how it's better for you and for your client!)
It is freeing for the client when the coach really enjoys them.
By enjoying your client, you are letting them know that you think they are OK - not broken or in need of being fixed.
To enjoy someone else, you have to actually enjoy yourself first.
When you enjoy the client, they tend to find their own value.
It is empowering - for you and them!
You will have more fun, which will make you more fun to work with, and hence, more attractive!
It keeps things lighter, which creates more space for possibilities.

A Final Note About Boundaries
What do you do if a client ventures into an area that really goes against your values?
Be clear with yourself and with your client about what you will talk about and what you won't. Saying something like, "That topic isn't my strong suit, can we focus on something else?" or "I'm just not up for that particular conversation." can be great ways of shifting the direction of the call.

Testimonials
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Class Notes
Transcript of Training Call | coming
RealAudio of Training Call | here
MP3 of Training Call | here* (to download MP3 file, right click your mouse over link) .

*instructions for downloading/using MP3 file here.

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