Have you ever wondered by some women instantly appear professional while others seem to not have it completely together? How we act and react is influenced by our four perceptual styles: Audio, Visual, Feeler, and Wholistic.
We are a combination of all four styles but our primary style influences are actions and reactions the most. However, the more in balance you are between the four styles, the easier it is to adapt to the other person?s style. This adaptability makes you more approachable and people admire your professionalism.
For instance, when you are having a meeting with an Audio, you need to cover the main points and in a logical sequence. If you ramble or provide unnecessary details, she might interrupt and ask, “And the point is?” As a professional woman, you know to collect your thoughts and remain focused during the meeting. It?s okay if she is not maintaining eye contact with you because she can concentrate better if she turns her ear toward you.
On the other hand, if you break eye contact with a Visual, it has the same affect as if you interrupted her.
When meeting with a Visual, it?s show time. If you simply tell her your plans for a project, she will have a blank face because she is trying to visualize what is needed and the steps involved. As a professional woman, you understand her feeling that “if it?s going to be done right, I have to do it myself.” Point out what can be delegated and what is acceptable, even if it?s not at her standard of perfectionism. Otherwise, she’ll get so bogged down in the details that she might not meet the deadline.
A Feeler is willing to work on whatever needs to be done as long as she understands how to do it. Audios have a tendency to be blunt, which can intimidate a Feeler. As a professional woman, you speak gently and realize she needs to have a chance to try what you are asking her to do because she doesn’t want to make a mistake. You encourage her to take on new challenges and show your appreciation for the many tasks she has completed.
Because a Wholistic has the ability to quickly grasp the whole picture, she is ready to take action immediately. As a professional woman, you support her ability to do the up front planning and help her delegate the rest of the responsibilities. Her mind quickly thinks of other possibilities which scatters her attention and may raise a few eyebrows. By helping her stay focused, she will come appear professional rather than scattered.
The diversity of the perceptual styles can unite or sabotage a team. What can you do when someone easily pushes your hot button? Change how you approach the difficult person to get a more favorable response.
I was upset with my boss and realized I had let him steal my smile. I decided to revert back to my usual smiling self. Just four hours later my boss said, “Carol, I don’t know what?s different about you, but I like you a whole lot better.”
We are more empowered than we think to change a negative situation. I advised a woman who was disgusted with her four male colleagues to ask herself, “Would I like to work with me?” The response was, “No! I’ve been a real bitch!” This awareness caused her to lighten up and to behave more professionally. Her colleagues? response to her change in behavior was positive, and she turned a negative situation around in less than a week.
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Carol Welsh, M.S,. is the author of “Stop When You See Red.” She has over 25 years of experience as a speaker and is a frequent guest on talk shows. Her Web site is stopred.com. She can be contacted at carolwelsh@stopred.com
A life coach uses many models to meet the needs of his/her client. Depending on the type of life coaching course you attend the number of models and the type of models that can be used by a life coach varies.
Some of the models are the six levels of coaching, the CLEAR model, Solution focused coaching, the story telling coach, transformational coaching, the GROW model etc. Among these models nothing is as useful as the GROW model. The GROW model was developed in the U.K and used extensively in coaching during the late 1980s and 1990s. The GROW Model enables you to break down an issue into its constituent parts.
It is one of the best known and widely used models. The reason for its popularity is that it provides a simple but powerful framework for navigating a route through a coaching session. It also provides a means of finding your way when you are lost. Lots of coaches have used it and it is described in number of life coaching manuals and books. GROW stands for Goal, current Reality, Options and Will. These are the four elements of a coaching session. The GROW model can be applied to individual sessions, group sessions, a part of a session or to series of sessions. Whatever type of session you apply it to the principle remains the same. This is how it works.
Any life coach knows that a goal is necessary for a person to work for. Similarly, each session must have a goal or an outcome to be reached or achieved. Make this goal as specific as possible. It should be such that it should be easy for a person to make out whether the goal has been achieved or not. Once the goal is identified, you can ask questions like ?How will you know that you have achieved the goal??
Setting the goal is good but how can you set a goal without being aware of your current reality. It is important to know where you are going but it is equally important to know where you are right now. You have to know your starting point to reach your finishing point. This is a key part of any life coaching session. By clearly seeing the situation you are in you can make the resolving of the issues that much easier.
Now you know your starting point (current reality) and your finishing point (goal), you have to next know how to get from the starting point to the finishing point. So, you have to explore the options to get from the starting point to finishing point. Using the GROW model is like using the map. Once you know where you are going and from where you are going then you can explore the possible routes. Then, you can decide which is the best possible route (option) to reach the goal.
But, knowing the starting point (current reality), finishing point (goal), and route (options) is not enough to make the journey. You should have the means to make the journey. How can you do it? By having the will to make the journey. If there is a will there is a way. So, if you have the will you can start from your current reality and reach your goal through the best option possible.
Having described the GROW model, it would seem as if it is a sequential process. But in reality it is not so. In practice each process has to be revisited a number of times before the final outcome. The best thing about this model is that it is easily understood, straightforward to apply and very thorough. In addition, once you have an understanding of how it works, it is possible to apply it to an amazing variety of issues in a very effective way. The GROW model will stop you struggling, or making so many mistakes. It will help you recoup quickly should you fall. GROW can get you going again when you pause. With GROW you can create a support framework to motivate you and encourage you. GROW can make success easier, faster and more fun than you think possible.
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Sean McPheat provides life coaching and training for people all around the globe. He is the owner of the Life Coaching Studio and he designs and delivers life coach, programmers and mentoring across the UK, Europe, US and the Middle East.
Having a strong, clear vision is the cornerstone of coaching success ? both for coaches and their clients. A great coach must not only have a strong vision of their own; they must also be able to help their client or ?PBC? (Person Being Coached) developing theirs.
The best visions are clear, useful, achievable and inseparable from who and what you (or your clients) are. As a coach, if you can master the skill of helping to create clear and authentic visions in yourself and others, you?ll be light years ahead of your competition. . It helps both you and your clients with the foundation upon which they can build a successful and satisfying life ? both personally and professionally.
FIRST, WORK ON YOUR OWN VISION
Without a clear vision of what you want to do, where you want to go, or what you, success will be much more difficult ? even impossible ? to achieve.. How can you know what to do ? what actions to take - if you don?t know where you?re going?
Not having a vision is like sailing without a destination. You end up on the Sea of Destiny without a port, wandering the ocean aimlessly, getting blown in whatever direction the wind is headed. When a challenging storm bears down, the gale-force winds will likely capsize your latest plans immediately. You?ll end up looking like you were aboard the Ship of Fools.
Having a clear vision and mission is what gives you that destination. Even though gale-force challenges may temporarily capsize your progress, you?ll more easily be able to get back on course and reach your objectives.
Contrary to what many people think, visions do not usually magically appear. They can take time - requiring introspection, self-analysis, and journaling. It also helps to review your past successes and ? just as important ? your past disappointments and failures. Draw on your dream, talents and desire. Observe your calling to be a coach.
The first place to look when developing your vision is within ? to that deeper inner self. You can draw upon your talent, dreams and desires, or whatever other avenues help you uncover those nuggets that will become your navigational beacons in life.
Unfortunately, there are usually no shortcuts in creating your vision. You can?t just ?make it up?; it takes WORK. But the rewards for doing this work can save you years ? even a lifetime ? of frustration by enabling you and your clients to live the life one is destined for.
SEVEN IDEAS TO HELP DEVELOP YOUR VISION
Idea 1: Listen and Look Within
Since vision starts within, it makes sense to listen and feel what your mind and soul really want. What stirs your heart? What is your greatest desire? What do you dream about?
Bottom line: Make sure your vision comes from within. If what you want to pursue does not truly come your inner depths, it will likely be impossible to achieve.
Idea 2: Seek the Help of Others; Make It a Team Sport
We do not live in a bubble. Utilize a team where you can. Heed the advice of a person who has more experiences in you ? especially in coaching. Find a coach who works on vision. Seek help from friends who know you well. They can help you confirm or question your own observations and provide a reality check.
Creating a MasterMind Group of 4-6 people also working on their vision can be extremely powerful. Use weekly or semi-weekly calls to support each other and keep the momentum going.
Asking and using others for guidance not only helps you with your own vision; it also puts you on the receiving end of help. This experience will in turn help you when you become the coach helping others with their vision. You?ll have done the proverbial ?walk in their shoes?.
Idea #2: Create a Sacred, Inner Space to Go Deeper
The vision you create for your practice begins in your mind and heart. It is something you can feel, taste, see, hear and touch with your soul.
Creating a supportive, inner environment is a powerful way to aid you in developing your vision. To access the inner depths of your mind and heart, find a way to retreat to a serene and tranquil place where your mind is free of the ?outer noise?.
In this sacred space, your heart, mind, and soul can more easily access what might be called Source. What you can find there is your most Authentic Self. Tap into this successfully, and your vision is likely to spring forth easily.
Though your mind may resist with every fiber of its being, try surrender into this emptiness. Check your brain out at the door. A Zen master once said, ?You already are that which you seek.? But you?ll find it much easier to uncover that if you are relaxed and can get your mind out of the way.
Step 3: Ask (the Right) Questions
Ask the questions that provoke and encourage answers to the deeper questions. These might include:
? What is the single most important thing my practice needs to go to the next level and further help my customers best?
? What are the three most important actions I need to take in order to increase my sales or income?
? What are the three most important changes I need to make in order to help me and/or my clients accomplish my/their objectives?
? What is the single biggest challenge that ? if resolved ? would most help me or my clients.
Idea 5: Identity the Problems Holding You Back
Sometimes we?re just plain stuck. What about you? Where are your points of ?stuck-ed-ness?? Discussing it with others ? especially your coach and MasterMind team ? is a powerful way to uncover the detours around or through the roadblocks holding you back from developing your vision.
There are times when we must first clear the rocks off the trail before we can continue on our path of self-discovery. Moving these out of the way helps unblock the energy flow, enabling us to more easily tap into the Source for answers.
Idea 7: Take Action and ?Go For It!?
Nothing happens without action. Once you have come up with a Vision that seems to fit well, ACT ON IT. It might not be perfect, but if it?s ?good enough?, then get going! You can always ?course correct?.
Don?t get bogged down in thinking about HOW you?re going to get there. Momentum is a powerful force, perhaps THE most important force when you?re first embarking for your Vision.
A sailor on a long voyage can never know for sure the exact course they will take to their destination. He/she will need to constantly make corrections for winds, current, and unforeseen challenges along the route. In the same way, you can tweak and adapt your own journey.
Idea 6: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Short & Simple)
Once you have a pretty good idea of your vision, simplify it. Keep honing it down and find ways to bring more clarity. Be brutal; in fact go for what is sometimes call ?brutal clarity of purpose?.
There is a nice analogy between a vision and a powerful photo. A very successful studio photographer was asked how he consistently came up with powerful photos. He responded, ?Once I?ve got all the elements in the photo that I think I need, I start taking away from it. If I remove or simplify an element or item and it helps, I keep the change. I continue this process with everything I can until it hurts the overall image. That?s when I know I?ve got my image.?
The lesson: try simplifying or removing extraneous parts of your vision. Ask yourself, ?Does it help ? or hinder? If it helps, keep the change. If it doesn?t, put it back. Continue with this process until you have the best picture you can.
CONCLUSION
Developing a Vision and acting on it is one of the most essential steps to creating a successful coaching practice. It is also one of the most powerful services you can offer your clients in helping them manifest their fullest potential.
Try these 7 ideas to help you do this. If something works for you, use it! If it doesn?t, discard it. We all have our own best ways of finding and developing our Vision. What matters most is that you do it, then act on it.
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Written by:
Doug Greene
June Davidson
www.coachesgonewild.com/
As we are reading a book we are often tempted to skip ahead to find out what happens next. It?s much like watching a movie and wanting to fast forward to the scene where the mystery is solved.
It?s human nature to be impatient sometimes and although this might not sit well if you?re telling someone the ending of a movie they have yet to see, it does work well when it comes to speed reading.
One of the most important aspects of speed reading is retaining the information. It may seem as though you would automatically soak up whatever it is you are reading, but when you are reading at an accelerated rate, this isn?t always the case. There is an approach to speed reading that will help you take as much away from the material as you can.
When we begin reading a book we are usually paying extra close attention. We read each word in order to set the stage for the information that will follow. The same idea works with speed reading. As you read the first chapter carefully you are implanting the main ideas of the book in your mind. This sets the stage for the middle of the book, which you can now read quickly because you will have a strong understanding of the material including the characters and the setting. If you skim quickly through the first chapter you may lose some of the most pertinent information, the story may become lost and you won?t enjoy the book as much as you could have.
For some speed readers they find assistance in reading the final chapter of the book before they read the middle. In a work of fiction this approach wouldn?t work as well, but with a non-fiction book it certainly has its advantages. When you are reading a non-fiction book and you read the first and last chapters carefully before you immerse yourself in the rest of the book, you have a strong sense of the information that the book will contain. If you are speed reading the book, that knowledge will be priceless.
Speed reading doesn?t just involve how fast your eyes can move along the page. It also includes how you comprehend the information in the book. No one wants to spend time reading a book, whether it?s at a normal pace or speed reading, only to forget what they read.
By paying extra close attention to certain parts of the book you can increase your ability to speed read and at the same time you will be improving your understanding of the contents and this will help you retain much more of the information than you would have otherwise.
Take extra time to read the beginning of a book can pay off at the end. Its benefits are obvious when you are speed reading, but it can also be extremely beneficial when you are reading a book at a regular pace.
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