MP3 File of call | here (to download put mouse over file and RIGHT click)

Graduate School of Coaching Training
Class 2705 - Coaching Proficiency #5: Expands the Client's Best Efforts
December 16, 2002 - 5:00 p.m. EST
Susan Austin, Instructor

Susan: Welcome to you all! This is class #2705; today we're going to be talking about proficiency #5, which is expands the client's best efforts. I want to just mention a couple of things because this is probably my 7th or 8th proficiency class, and some things have come out from leading these and I want to share them with you. First, it's not meant to be a critical process when we do the role-plays. I just want to point out that these proficiencies are add-ons for most of us to how we're coaching; this isn't to take away from what you're already doing. A lot of times they're blended or synergistic to how you already coach. You can start weaving these into your coaching; it's not an overhaul process. I know it's not a perfect process; it's a little stressful, but you guys are doing an amazing job. We're still tweaking the learning of these proficiencies; we're learning what works and what doesn't and are perfecting it as we go along.

This profession is harder than most people think it is; there's a skill level here and you have to be a very, very high communicator. Unless you're actively working towards this, you probably aren't. Okay, let's get started. Out of this proficiency, this is my hardest. I'm going to be learning right along with you abut this, but I can't speak from a first-person expert on this, and I just want to tell you that going in.

The theory is that most of us operate at 10 percent f our potential; I'll be Thomas operates at 30 percent of his potential himself. We'll go over different ways you can help your clients expand their effectiveness. I've heard that it's harder to increase sales by 10-15 percent than it is to increase them by 50 percent. If you go for 50 percent, you have to find a new strategy and a whole new market, and that's really the key behind this proficiency. It's going to be smarter effort rather than just trying t work harder or just ask the client for more. 80 percent of the goals clients bring t Thomas, he'll work to change that goal.

All right, I'll open it up to the group. Why expand the client's best efforts?

Judy: You probably said one of the reasons in that you want to set a gal for clients that is so exciting that they don't need willpower to go after it.

Susan: Yes, very good. By either restructuring the goal or picking a new goal, that's expanding their efforts right there. It gives them something they're excited abut.

Dusty: It's to get people out of the mediocre mode.

Susan: Yes. In the orb that we'll talk abut later and the 'before' is either slow, stop, or weak and mediocre is right in the middle of that. Who else? Why is this a proficiency?

XXX: Because you're trying to help them be great.

Susan: Yes, and clients will come to expect this. In your mind, you'll be the person that does that for them, and if you don't, who will? This is actually a pretty unique skill that a coach has. A boss may expect you to do this, but they don't actually help you do it.

Valerie: To me, it's fun and exhilarating.

Susan: Yes; you know, Thomas just landed on why he does the things he does. It's because he gets 'high' from doing the impossible. He's actually setting out to find a way to make something work that people tell him he can't do.

Sharon: Clients may be tired of working harder and hire us to help them with that.

Susan: Yes, very good. Let's talk about how you expands the client's best efforts. Thomas has come up with 3 different ways to do this: (1) coach more strongly, (2) increase the client's effectiveness and (3) re-position their efforts. I think #3 is the main thing Thomas does. Generally, once this has happened, the client takes off for him.

XXX: Can you explain what that would look like?

Susan: Let me go through the other 2 really quick first. To coach more strongly, you want to strengthen the relationship you have with your client. As a result of that, that will actually expand a client's best efforts. Then, to increase the client's effectiveness, it means that either the client is missing a skill set that they need, and you can actually share that with a client and make that bigger, if you will. Then to reposition efforts, it's basically that the client brings in goal A, but after you go through it with them, they lean on goal B, which is a better goal for them. It's not enough to support our clients, they're going to want some strategies for us - they're going to want that as part of the coaching. It's really about a new way of getting from point A to point B faster. When we do the role-play, we'll play with all of these so you can see some real-world examples, if you will.

Before we get into the role-play, how will you know that you're doing this proficiency?

Anne: Would an example be if the client said that they've got an idea to something but never thought of doing it, but now they want to do it?

Susan: So you're saying that by them picking a goal they never would've thought of before that expands the client's best efforts?

Anne: Yes.

Susan: I would say yes, and having them move toward that goal would be a very clear indicator.

Patricia: I was coaching a client this morning who's going to be doing a seminar with only 3 weeks left. I spent the coaching call expanding her best efforts and I know that happened because when she left the call she said that she felt stretched and challenged and now she could pull off the project.

Susan: Okay; so you felt you laid the foundation for that to happen?

Patricia: Yes.

Susan: Okay, good. There are a couple of ways you'll be able to know: (1) Clients are performing above their expectations; (2) the client is becoming more capable in general; (3) the client is generally more productive; and (4) results are coming more easily. Also, Thomas has 2 12-point lists that you can use for this proficiency. I think 'raise the bar' is key for a lot of clients; if you get them to do that, their efforts will expand exponentially. Also, when we say 'don't limit the client to your reality', it means just because you wouldn't be willing to do the impossible, doesn't mean you shouldn't ask them to do it.

Okay, so let's do a role-play. I'm not sure how this is going to work. I'll be the client, and then we'll go around the room and have you expand the client's best efforts. I've been trying to use the same role-play for each class so you can see the different proficiencies and the same scenario, but a different result. Okay, here's the scenario - my situation is that it's coming up to 2003 and I want to incorporate more fitness in my life, but I've never identified what that fitness would look like. By the mid or end of 2003, I'd like to do some event that I'd feel proud of - not necessarily a marathon, but something I can shoot for.

Okay, how would you increase the client's effectiveness on this? What are different ways you can increase the client's effectiveness around this goal?

XXX: You could move the timeline up from 6 months or a year to next month.

Susan: So, where did that come from?

XXX: I just thought of it.

Susan: That's good; it's almost like taking a shortcut.

XXX: You were saying that you didn't know the event, but that a marathon would be too much - what areas would you like to have the event in?

Susan: Good idea.

Patricia: You said before that you thought the event wasn't important, but if you were to get to expanding what your expectations, you could start by looking at what this fitness is going to give you, so you can really rocket to the results. Find out what it is that that fitness is going to give you.

Susan: Okay; in this case, I'll go ahead and answer that. I think the fitness would bring - I want more energy in my life. I want my fitness level to be - I want it from the draining side of my life to the adding side of my life.

XXX: Do you want to be fitter, or be healthier all around?

Susan: I want to be fitter so I can walk up 20 flights of stairs without breathing hard at all. Where were you going with that?

XXX: I'm wondering if it's a way to reposition your goals.

Susan: That's interesting; that's a good question to ask, but for me, fitness is more important than health.

XXX: It sounded to me more like more energy than fitness.

XXX: Have you set up any support structures for yourself?

Susan: Okay, and which one are you looking at there?

XXX: The 2nd one.

Susan; Okay, very good.

Valerie: For me, there's a missing ingredient from you - if you're not inspired enough by fitness, then how is this event going to inspire you?

Susan: Good question; in my mind, I have a picture of what physical fitness looks like.

XXX: So it's a picture you don't yet have for yourself.

Susan: I know I'll reach this goal when I do some sort of endurance event.

Patricia: When you said earlier that it doesn't matter so much about the event, I think knowing the event would really frame this goal for you.

Susan: Very good call on that; the client should have something in their mind, otherwise what's the point?

XXX: Wouldn't it be more important to find the event than have it be about 6 months? It seems...

Susan: Yeah, interesting.

Katherine: I realize that you haven't yet defined the event, but I think it's a great goal. I know how much energy you put into your work, so I'm wondering if we were able to find an equally important motivator like reaching 2 goals in 6 months?

Susan: What were you going for here?

Katherine: I was initially encouraging the goal, but then asking for twice as much and finding a bridge that makes that goal twice as motivating.

Susan: I would say that until I haven't landed on the one, I can't name something that's twice as much. I totally applaud the concept and the idea, particularly when the client hasn't picked the one event, it would really make it more confusing to try to pick 2.

Dost: It sounds like you want to have more energy, so I would start with that and try to put increasing your energy together with that gal.

Susan: Okay; tell me what you're thinking there. Where are you expanding the client's best efforts when you're doing that?

Dost: There may be other things in your life that you can put into alignment and we should have a discussion around that.

Susan: Very good.

Dave: I was wondering why it's so inspiring to have something you can do in 6 months?

Susan: I think - one of my challenges is that I have to go to the gym to work on fitness and I don't like it, so I thought if I could come up with an event, it might make it more exciting.

XXX: What other things in your life could you create that would give you as much or more as trying to increase your fitness?

Susan: Very interesting:

Judy: Where is the fun in all this for you? How can you make it fun to do rather than onerous?

Susan: Fun and physical activity have never gone in the same sentence for me. I do enjoy hiking a lot - I like being out in nature and the non-repetitive nature of hiking.

Judy: And would that be more fun you?

Susan: Hey, that's an idea. Were you trying to reposition the goal?

Judy: Yes, I was trying to make it more rewarding for you.

Mary Beth: What I'm hearing is that you really want to get the energy and if you knew what the energy was going to be used for, so I'm interpreting that this goal of the activity isn't so much the goal as the bridge to the goal of more energy. What do you want more energy to do?

Susan: I think you connected some dots for me that I wouldn't normally connect, so hold on for a second, let me see if I can rephrase this. I can't think of it, but that's a good question. I think there's a little bit of a disconnect there.

Mary Beth: There's a difference between energetic and having energy to do things. I know you're an idea generator and that's energetic, but is it about having energy to go through your day better?

Susan: I would've sworn it was energy, but now I'm wondering. The client is confused! I think it's that the fitness will bring me more confidence in everything I'm doing, actually. I don't suffer from energy so much, but it's really confidence that I'm going for.

XXX: So maybe it's about doing things that will bring you more confidence as well.

Susan: Good point.

Michael: What happens after the event?

Susan: What are you going for here?

Michael: It seems like you're trying to trick yourself into developing an exercise program to accomplish something, when it's really about more long-term life habits. I think that appreciating that could be a higher motivation...

Susan: So you're saying there might be something bigger here than what the client can see.

Michael: I think the client sees it, but they're just not interpreting it correctly.

Susan: Interesting.

Dusty: If self-confidence is really what you're trying to get here, is that a skill or a belief in this sense?

Susan: I don't know; I don't really understand the question.

Dusty: Is it a belief you have about yourself, or is it about building certain things into your life - if you had self-confidence as a belief system...

Susan: Are you saying if I had more self-confidence?

Stephanie: I kind of see exercise as the same as brushing your teeth - not something really fun, but if I don't do it, something I'll regret later. I think you sound very energized over this idea of hiking and all these other goals, and I'm just concerned that we could easily miss the boat on this.

Susan: I agree, and I think yes the client is going to have to do things during the week but if the carrot isn't inspiring, then they won't stick with it. Because of the time, I'm going to have to ask for a de-brief; how was this helpful for you? Okay, it's that powerful, huh?

Stephanie: I think it's very helpful to see how other people approach the same problem from different tactics.

Mary Beth: I was intrigued by your attempts to have us all thought-coach; it was exhausting in thinking about all the different directions this coaching went into.

Susan: And I will say that there wasn't a coach today that didn't expand my best efforts.




copyright 2002 by schoolofcoaching.com. no duplication.