Collaborate
The collaborate brain state is a primary
brain state used in a coaching session.
It is beautiful: The left and right PFC
regions are balanced and integrated.
The social brain is fully engaged. Brain
activity is high in many regions. Not surprisingly, this
is a highly generative state that can lead to shifts in
mindset; i.e., “aha” moments and insights that have
the potential to elicit small brain changes which add
up over many sessions to transform the brain—both
mindset and behavior.
Flow
Described by Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi as
the key to optimal psychological wellbeing, individual flow states are those
moments when we are immersed and
enjoying an activity so much that we lose
track of time and, without undue effort, execute the
activity to the best of our abilities.
We don’t yet have a brain state for relational flow (i.e.,
a flow state involving two or more people, such as a
coach and client). Relational flow is likely a hybrid of
the collaborate and flow states, capturing the creative
collaboration that occurs in the best coaching sessions.
Embodied Learning
Embodied learning takes place when
humans learn by watching, observing and
even absorbing others keenly. The middle
and back of the brain are activated, and
the PFC—the thinking brain—is turned
down. This is the main mode of early childhood learning
before kids have books and pencils. A coach takes in and
absorbs the client’s presence. This state is also used by
a client to take in the coach’s presence, including zest
and curiosity, which contributes as much or more to the
coaching dynamic as what coaches do when it comes to
facilitating a rich exploration.
Nonlinear
This nonlinear state is where creativity
happens. It’s even more defocused
than the flow state. This is where you’re
brainstorming, where you’re coming
up with crazy ideas one after another.
This creative brain state is a valuable contributor to
the coaching process, where you get yourself and
your client out of “normal” thinking patterns and into a
creative, possibility-generating space that’s an amazing
source of new perspectives and new ideas.
Strategic
There are moments in coaching when you
need to zoom out from the nitty-gritty
to bigger-picture inquiries. This strategic
brain state looks almost identical to the
meta-awareness state. The same areas
are activated, but to slightly different degrees. As noted
earlier, this suggests that the meta-awareness state
may in fact yield strategic perspectives on one’s self. In
a coaching session, you might zoom out by asking: What
shifts are you noticing? What patterns are emerging?
What are you learning? Is this working for you?
Evaluate
The judging, evaluating, critiquing
brain state—with the highest degree
of executive control of all of the brain
states explored here—is applied with
great care in a coaching session. There’s
no place in the coaching conversation for judgment of
the client. However, this brain state is ideal when the
collaboration turns to designing actions. This is where
the critical thinking and evaluating brain state is ideal.
Mind-Wandering
The imagining and mind-wandering
brain states look very similar. The only
difference is that the left PFC, which is
somewhat activated in the imagining
state, is turned down even lower in
the mind-wandering state. In fact, it’s fair to say that
imagination is a controlled version of mind wandering
directed toward something concrete (e.g., imagining
the future). While you and your client may not unleash
your mind to wander during a coaching session
unless you take an intentional break, perhaps to do
some deep breathing, it’s an invaluable brain state to
recharge after a coaching session. Many creative ideas
emerge spontaneously after deep focus periods, when
working memory is richly stocked up with information
and emotional energy and the brain is set free of
ambition (e.g., when you’re taking a shower, going for
a walk or jogging).
COLOR KEY
Cortical areas of relative activation
28 Coaching World
Cortical areas of relative deactivation
Subcortical areas of relative activation