Today, I wanted to talk about something I’ve noticed in some of my recent coaching sessions. It’s something that I’m actively practicing right now.
Sometimes, people come to a coaching session and have a lot to say about their problem. Sometimes, it’s helpful to have someone listen while they talk through their thoughts.
Now, there’s always the chance that this is true.
But it’s not always true.
And I can’t predict the future.
So there will be times when a client will want to talk through a problem. And if they ask for that, we can totally do that.
However, I can’t just default to hoping for the best.
Often, when a client comes to a coach with a problem, they have a lot of thoughts about it.
Navigating all of these thoughts can present a problem in itself for the client:
- Feeling confused
- Analysis paralysis
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Ruminating on past thoughts
- Being stuck in a vicious circle
Interrupting the client, helping them to slow down their mind, and focusing their thoughts can be helpful for the client.
The fact that time is limited in each session compounds this value.
Historically, I feel a lot of resistance towards interrupting and driving a conversation so directly.
I thought it was rude to do so, making me scared to interrupt. As a result, I would just let people continue following their stream of thought.
This reminds me of a clip I’d recently seen of Judith Gaton.
Maybe our coaching conversations will become more delicious if I’m willing to show up more fully in these conversations instead of only holding space for others.
So I’ve started practicing something new.
I’m reminding myself that keeping the conversation focused will benefit my client. Because this has me feeling confident in keeping the conversation on track, I’m willing to do just that.
