Core Competency #8: Facilitates Growth completes the list of Core Competencies which serves as the foundation of standards instituted by ICF. It is interesting to note that there were originally 11 Core Competencies. The last 4 of these fell unto the Category 'Facilitating Growth and Results' with 33 detailed elaborations and these have been reduced to 8 essential points under one competency to discuss the importance Cultivating Learning & Growth in the Coaching Process.
In Episode 11 in the continuing series of the Catalyst Coaching Certification Programme, Coach Sanjiv began briefly with how the Competencies have been revised and how the current list is organised. The first five competencies were essential to establishing the core truth that a Coach is a 'Be-ing' before he is "Do-ing". Active Listening and Evoking Awareness would be the tools of communication necessary to building the relationship between the Coach and Coachee. Coach Sanjiv strongly recommended that these 7 competencies should be regularly practiced in our lives with the people around us even before we start coaching in order to become authentic and effective coaches.
When it comes to "Facilitating Growth" Sanjiv described this competency as "where the rubber meets the road" or the point in which an idea or theory is tested through practice. It is where the principles are demonstrated and proof of concept made tangible when Growth has been facilitated. We then went through the 8 elaborations of the Competency and went into a mini-coaching session where we attempted using any of 9 questions to move our Coachees forward.
How will you demonstrate the ownership of this?
How would you like to hold you accountable?
How will you respond if things go off-course?
How would you measure your success?
How will you continually drive (manage) progress?
How will you know you have (fully) arrived?
How will you know "you got it"?
How different will your life be, as a result of the learning?
How will your life message (mantra) be moving forward?
Reflections
I am particularly drawn to the word 'facilitates'. Facilitators apply techniques drawn from an understanding of human motivation (Science) but are aimed at creating a space for a possibly diverse group of people to find commonalities, build consensus and plan together to achieve group objectives (Art). Applied to coaching an individual, I see facilitation as bringing together different selves of a person e.g. the past self, the present self and the future self or the selves at work, home, community. These are not multiple personalities but aspects of a person and each have their own priorities and needs. Coaching brings these selves into an alignment through facilitating what growth means -what is the goal the Coachee wants to move towards and forward and to re-imagine all the possibilities. These are some Notes To Self (NTS) on how facilitation skills might complement coaching
Focusing on guiding through listening and suggesting but leaving the participant/ Coachee to devise his own solution. (NTS: I am not the hero in the journey. This is their story we are writing.)
Managing the time to create and maintain momentum. (NTS: Time is precious. Longwindedness in a session is not a virtue.) This is connected to
Short circuiting circular discussions. Although some level of exploration is expected in the beginning, it is easy to be bogged down when we keep thinking of the why nots instead of trying to understand the lessons from these experiences. We need to help the participant/ Coachee identify these internal circular discussions as they could be the source of limiting beliefs. (NTS: Be kind when doing reality checks because reality can bite)
Motivating the participant/ Coachee and energizing him - nothing is a greater shot in the arm than having someone recognise progress in what you are doing. Small wins move people forward and once a Coachee sees his progression, he becomes self-motivated. (NTS: Up your cheerleader game!)
Always be clear of what your participant/ Coachee would like to achieve and ensure that your guidance is also clear. One therefore needs to prepare. As Coach Sanjiv mentioned, preparation for every 45 minute coaching session entails more than 3 times that time for it is unimaginable that a Coach does not fully prepare for that session. (NTS: Boy Scouts' Motto = Be Prepared. Be a Boy Scout!)
Learn to adapt to your Coachee's way of thinking. Not everyone learns or thinks the same way and our curiosity will uncover their beliefs and world views.
Shifts in thinking about beliefs and world view are usually not encouraged. Think of how popular Copernicus was when he challenged the established thinking of the day that the sun revolved around the earth. Our human brains have evolved to self-preserve and maintain status quo and not challenge even our own thinking because of psychological safety. Change requires tremendous courage and the desire to grow must be applauded. Resistance should be expected but we should remind ourselves as Marianne Williamson in her book Return to Love, "It takes courage... to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than to choose to take the dull pain of uncosciousness that would last the rest of our lives."
While insight and awareness are positive shifts to be acknowledged, our role is to to guide the Coachee to translate these learnings into Action and Behavior. Learning which stays at the intellectual level become 'loose change' (pun intended) - change that doesn't stick and so Conviction that leads to action requires more than mental assent. For example, I may strongly believe that a chair is sturdy enough to hold my weight but until I make it a point to sit on the chair, my belief is in question. Unless I am convinced that taking small steps to avoid snacking and eating more vegetables will improve my immunity, I will continue to snack.
I found Coach Sanjiv's 9 questions useful in setting the coaching relationship very clearly in establishing direction, responsibility and accountability as what the Coachee must take onboard. At the same time, giving a Coachee autonomy is a big challenge for new Coaches and requires that we return time and again to the fundamental precept that our Coachee is creative, resourceful and whole. Again referring to the previous point #3, this is a learning that must be translated into action for it to be true.
In order to help growth progressively, Coaches may build into each session opportunities for making smaller autonomous decisions rather than launch them into the world on their own. Pieced together, the smaller actions add up to a larger plan of action. This helps the Coachee gain self-confidence that he has the necessary tools to make sound decisions beyond the coaching relationship.
Carol Dweck's book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success has been widely quoted in the context of Growth. She clarifes in an article "What Having A Growth Mindset Really Means" in Harvard Business Review that it is not easy to attain a Growth Mindset and that there is a mix of the two mindsets in operation. It's not that a growth mindset is inherent and static nor about praising and rewarding efforts. Neither is it about adopting it as part of a mission statement. As a Haitian proverb says "Beyond Mountains, More Mountains" meaning there are always new heights to scale. Therefore while we celebrate success and progress, we need to recognise growth is the continual pursuit of how we can develop. The moment we stop, growth stops.
I believe the passion of Coaching and part of a Coach's DNA is Growth. It is what we invest our time and energy into. Although I have just embarked on this journey, I do feel a small sense of accomplishment in small coaching moments when I sense a shift in the way the other person is thinking or when I hear that they are taking baby steps. Where we grow in particular is believing that the "seed' within is viable, that all I need is to provide the necessary conditions for it to sprout and thrive. As my Coachees grow in experience and understanding, so too will I grow and I am looking forward to that.
Coach Maire, signing out.
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