MINDFUL COACHING
As a practitioner of meditation,
yoga and other wisdom traditions,
I practice mindfulness to increase
awareness, strengthen the mind’s
inner “silent witness” and cultivate
compassion and presence as a
coach. Mindfulness helps me to
let go of attachment to my own
ideas and thus be more fully in
service to the needs of my clients.
Like me, many coaches come
from professional backgrounds
that valued their expertise and
their ability to solve problems.
The impulse to share your
expertise and solve a client’s
problems is a great attribute
in consulting relationships, but
not in coaching relationships.
Mindfulness practices help us
recognize our urge to offer
opinions, interpretations or advice
in the moment, and to let go of
attachment to our own expertise.
We then can choose actions that
support the client’s agenda, not
our own.
As we develop the capacity to
notice the thoughts and feelings in
our own minds, we become better
able to set them aside, refocus
our attention on the client, and
create a coaching relationship
based on trust, respect and
unconditional positive regard.
This quality of relationship, of
being, invites the client to access
deep wellsprings of her own
resourcefulness. If offered to the
client as a consistent practice,
mindfulness can lead her to better
health and greater capacity to
respond skillfully to the demands
of everyday life.
22
Coaching World |
August 2013
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