{"id":15768,"date":"2023-02-07T05:07:34","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T05:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projects.rapidmind.in\/navgati\/?p=15768"},"modified":"2023-04-26T08:10:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T08:10:23","slug":"the-quiet-coach-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.rapidmind.in\/navgati\/the-quiet-coach-5\/","title":{"rendered":"The Quiet Coach – 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chemistry conversations<\/h4>\n

These are short calls where coaches and clients quiz each other on the atomic masses of elements in the periodic table. Ok fine, but it is Saturday night and I do need to entertain myself writing this.<\/p>\n

Chemistry calls are short sessions where coaches and clients can assess if they are the right fit for each other before engaging in the formal process. They can be sometimes daunting for coaches who feel like they are under scrutiny and I\u2019ve known more than one very competent coach who\u2019ve reported being unlike their normal selves in order to try to impress the client.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s equally important is that you establish a relationship of psychological equality \u2013 I remember someone telling me about a coach who would inform his clients after the chemistry meeting that they were \u201cselected\u201d to work with him. Not the best place to start a coaching relationship from. <\/p>\n

So here\u2019s a process for the next time you need to meet a prospective client<\/p>\n

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  1. \tEven before you meet the person, use the preliminary mails to clearly explain what a chemistry meeting is \u2013 I would say something like \u201cThis meeting is a chance for us to get to know each other; to level set on what coaching is; what our expectations from each other are. I\u2019d also like to use the time to discuss what could help the coaching process work and what could come in the way\u201d<\/i><\/li>\n
  2. \tStart the meeting by introducing yourself \u2013 it\u2019s useful to model the behaviours you would like to invite the client to demonstrate so be authentic and vulnerable in your own sharing. Prepare for it so you can be deliberate about how much time you take and what you focus on. The goal is not to impress clients with the things you\u2019ve done in your life but to give them a chance to know who you are as a person.<\/li>\n
  3. \tInvite the client to introduce themselves in whatever depth they like. I find it very helpful to keep notes, both of what they\u2019re saying and of my first impressions of them \u2013 you\u2019re starting to understand what drives them right from this meeting.\n
  4. \tMake sure you demonstrate the behaviours you will be using in the coaching conversations – be curious; be empathetic; appropriately acknowledge the client for what they are sharing.<\/li>\n
  5. \tBefore launching into an explanation of coaching, ask the client \u201cWhat has brought you here\/what has your exposure been to coaching so far?\u201d If they have been coached before, I always make it a point to ask them what they enjoyed and did not enjoy about the coaching process (note, not the coach but the process).<\/li>\n
  6. \tBuild on what the client already knows about the process; in addition to explaining where we start\/how we arrive at outcomes\/how we schedule sessions etc., the key points I normally focus on are these<\/li>\n