It would be interesting to know what someone was thinking if they sat in on a coaching session just to observe. I imagine there would be moments when they would wonder what was going on.
The client might be drawing on a tablet. Pausing periodically. Crossing out phrases. And talking in half sentences. There may be the common, “I just don’t know”.
The coach would pause and wait to see if this was really true. If the client was really stuck or if it was a habitual pattern of speaking, something to fill the space.
If the client was stuck, the coach might then respond with a question and the client might take off again inspired by answering the question and then realizing there was still more to create and uncover. And then there might be a moment where the client realizes they really do know how to approach the situation at hand.
In some coaching, there isn’t a lot of back and forth like there is in sports coaching or instructional coaching. The coach isn’t telling the client what to do next, or how to do it better or where they went wrong.
Some coaching is about holding space. It’s a container of time for reflection and discovery. Allowing the client time to actually think. It invites the individual to sense into what might be the next best steps for them to take. The word, for them, being the emphasis.
It is a time protected not only from interruptions, but it is also protected from that inner critic we are all aware we have. This inner critical voice who loves to interrupt our creative moments.
To be clear, there are times to play with that inner critic. To say to this inner critic, “Ah, yes, we have been expecting you. Please come in with your very encouraging words of wisdom”.
And some sessions are about allowing an artist to create.
