Coaching based on a Solution-Focused mindset and effective communication can help people conquer old habits and outdated systems to then move towards a positive shift. It stimulates the beyond-conscious mind which can help the client to explore many hidden possibilities.
In a coaching setting when you ask questions that provoke visual stimuli such as “how do you imagine your future state will look like?” it brings images to the mind and engages the beyond-conscious mind. When you visualize a variety of responses you become empowered to formulate exceptional plans and take effective action.
A combination of open-ended coaching questions and curiosity to find out more can open the horizons to new possibilities. It makes the client pay more attention not only to what's going on within them but also acknowledge their surroundings.
Most humans by nature have limited conscious focusing power which we use. This capability can be enhanced to be used with much more flexibility and this is what most coaching questions aim to achieve. With the correct coaching questions, you can achieve widened access to the client’s life development system and the joy of consciously living from their values. They also get much broader access to the vast range of inner planning tools that they already possess.
Some sample coaching questions will widen your horizon and give you ideas on how they create the appropriate coaching questions suitable to your client. Keep in mind that the questions need to be open-ended and developmental.
In short, once you step into a deep coaching conversation with the client you need to awaken their genius so that they can live their highest potential.
You can do so by:
The main goal of Solution-Focused coaching conversations is to create flow states of connection with your client so they can connect with their beyond-conscious mind. As you work with this technique you will find out your own way of awakening the genius in people by effectively interlinking the mind-brain system.
If you are interested in learning more about solution-focused coaching enroll in one of our online coach certification programs.
In the current times of uncertainty and difficulties arising due to the COVID-19 virus, it is easy to become stressed which is an unavoidable and inevitable part of being human. During this crisis it's important to learn how to manage stress and act with a positive attitude which will help you to grow resilience and move ahead in life.
One of the traits of successful people is that they recognize the temporariness of stressful situations and accept them as normal and natural parts of life.
They do everything possible to avoid difficult situations despite that when they arise, successful people respond with a positive attitude, learn from situations and keep moving ahead in the direction of their dreams.
For example, If you wanted to become a certified coach and the uncertainty arising due to the COVID-19 virus is stopping you, you can respond in a positive manner by searching for alternate options such as online live classes and continue to realize your dream of becoming a certified coach.
Optimist people are the ones who have a positive outlook on life. They respond in a swift manner to adverse events and recognize their temporary nature. Optimistic people act with a positive attitude, they know how to manage stress and counter negative feelings by looking at the situation with a positive outlook.
Since your conscious mind can hold only one thought at a time, either positive or negative, if you deliberately choose a positive thought to dwell upon, you keep your mind optimistic and your emotions positive.
Since your thoughts and feelings determine your actions, you will tend to be a more constructive person, and you will start moving forward and more rapidly toward the goals that you have chosen.
Here are three ideas you can use to help you to maintain a positive attitude and manage stress:
Firstly, make up your mind that you will not let the situation affect you negatively and put you down. No matter what, you will respond in a constructive and positive manner. You will stay calm and look for whatever good the situation may bring.
Converse with Yourself Positively
Second, neutralize any negative thoughts or emotions by speaking to yourself positively all the time.
You can say things like,
“I feel healthy! I have lots of time to spend at home and spend the time constructively!”
“I am lucky I have a job that allows me to work from home”
“I can spend more time with my family”
“I can spend more time doing the things I like”
According to the law of expression, whatever is expressed is impressed. Whatever you say to yourself or others is impressed deeply into your subconscious mind and is likely to become a permanent part of your personality.
Finally, move ahead in life by keeping your thoughts on your goals and dreams
When things go wrong temporarily, respond by saying to yourself, “I believe in the perfect outcome of every situation in my life.”
Be determined to maintain positivity throughout. Resist temptations towards negativity and disappointment. View the challenge as means of growing stronger.
This pandemic has changed a lot of things for a lot of us, we also wanted to take the time to let everyone know that we are so proud of you and the fact that you have made it this far as well.
Regardless, the pandemic has pushed almost all of humanity to multiple breaking points and if you ever feel the need to speak to someone or if you need some help, please feel free to email us at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com
We are in the second quarter of 2021 and the pandemic is still a huge part of our day-to-day lives. A lot of us might have gotten used to what the "new normal" looks like but it's still a challenge every day to go through one of the hardest experiences the human race has ever had to experience.
With that being said, do you feel like you need support to get through the pandemic?
We wrote this article in hopes of it providing you key points of how to get a hold of yourself during the crisis. It is a scary situation and we are all in a loop. But Positive Psychology teaches us that we have the possibility of having positive outcomes when we focus more on the positive. You can switch to that mindset easily by asking yourself the right questions.
The sooner you start the better results you can get. With passing time you can go over them again to gain more clarity.
These 8 questions can help you transform your limiting paradigms and expand your awareness to thrive during the pandemic.
Another way to say this could be “what are you grateful for right now?” list down some things. Are you healthy? Are you safe? Is your family safe? Do you have shelter? Put them all on the list. Take your time to feel the depth of gratitude.
Make this a habit and revisit gratitude at least once a day. It will allow for a shift in your perspective when it comes to your day and finding the positives in them.
The question is not what’s the problem, but what is good about that problem? Do you get to spend more time with your family? Do you save time to do other activities you always wanted to? Can you pay more attention to your kids? When you are happy it's easy to share that happiness with others. Shift that perspective.
Imagine everything as the best-case scenario. How would you achieve that? What kind of a person would you have to become to achieve that scenario? How can you become that person?
Once you start living your life purpose it makes everything meaningful. Your purpose may have temporarily changed during this pandemic. Ask yourself “what matters the most during these current conditions?” How can you bring that change needed?
There is always a preferred way of doing things, but adversities may change the situation and you may have to come up with new ways of doing things. It is a good way to reflect on what are your strengths and how can you modify them to suit the current times.
Try to find ways on how to develop yourself during this time. Don’t let complaining or blaming become your habit. Find new tools such as meditation, mindfulness, and reading to find what skills and knowledge you can acquire during this time.
Are you looking for a new career? A new skillset? Do you want to become a coach? Online learning enables you to do that even from the comfort of your home.
Everybody is united during this pandemic. You have something that can help someone else and someone else can help you. Be vocal in what you need help with. It may seem like you are vulnerable but it's often joyful if someone gets to help someone. Stay connected with your loved ones even through digital means.
These questions might pose a challenge to some people. But a trained coach or an ICF Certified FLOW Coach equipped with the skills and knowledge of Positive Psychology can help you. Get in touch with us at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com
Just because we're isolated doesn't mean we're alone. Don't be afraid to ask for help. We are here for you.
With the disruption of the COVID-19, we all are forced into some form of an existential crisis along with social distancing and self-isolation. In such a time of crisis, the lens of FLOW coaching philosophy might help us to start to see our condition as a catalyst to our spiritual growth.
FLOW coaching sees life as a creative process, thus current reality as a form of catalyst to a better form of future. The reality that we are all in is perceived as a medium to learn and grow.
We all have choices, but most of the time our conditioning from the early years of life makes us perceive the same path as a choice. Once we change our lens, then, we are able to see other choices available to us.
Applying this core principle of FLOW coaching into our current reality, let’s see what we have and how we can use them to grow.
If you choose to follow the FLOW principles and start to see this crisis full of choices towards spiritual growth, then set aside some time to reflect on these existential questions: “Who do I want to become?” and “What spiritual practices can I exercise to become that person?”.
Intentionally directing our creative energy to what we want to create, instead of worrying and panicking, we will be able to use this crisis time for developing a spiritual practice that will stay with us for a lifetime.
Developing a spiritual practice ultimately is about learning to surrender and trusting the intelligence of flow.
Listening to our inner voice through listening to silence, asking deep questions and reflecting upon them, writing, exchanging meaningful conversations with others, and other creative acts connect us with the universal consciousness of flow.
Learning to listen is a deep spiritual practice. First, it teaches us to be patient, and in time as we keep practicing, it connects us with our inner intelligence. If we keep it as a repetitive practice, then we learn to surrender ourselves without judgment and with a deeper understanding.
Asking powerful questions is about stretching ourselves outside our comfort zone. It is a practice where our mind and heart have to cooperate. It is a practice where we conquer inner resistance and free ourselves from it. Powerful questions are indeed creative coaching questions. They allow us to align our attention with our intention. These creative coaching questions help us to reflect on our true intention;
Writing is a form of spiritual practice too. As we write we clear our mind, body, and heart from dysfunctional energy clutter that keeps us alert and worrying all the time. It also helps us to release accumulated negative energy and emotions from our bodies. Writing is a process connecting us with our subconscious. Therefore, writing is a catalyst to spiritual growth.
Social distancing means physical distancing, but it shouldn’t prevent us from having meaningful conversations through virtual platforms. One thing that we can be grateful for about modern technology is that it has enhanced our mediums to connect. A meaningful conversation makes you feel like you are in flow at the moment with a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
It develops us and creates a desire to grow. It is both an art and science. It creates a sacred space between people on a conscious and subconscious level. Therefore it is a spiritual practice.
Spiritual growth comes to the person with intention and repetitive practice. If we practice these acts above we will be able to transform this existential crisis into something that will serve us and others for a lifetime.
If you are interested in learning more about these practices by joining online live Core Foundations coaching certification, please feel free to call us at +1-888-4030707 or reach us at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com.
Fear is a very powerful energy. It either stops us from moving forward or forces us to fight and run away. A lot of us fear what we do not understand. Countless fights, wars, and misunderstandings stem from a feeling of fear.
The feeling of the unknown, or the fear that someone is not going to do what they said they were going to do or just the simple fear of failure. Fear has fueled a lot of people to do countless of not so smart things.
Fear has a past orientation. We need to switch from our past orientation to future orientation.
FEAR is your Brain’s way of saying that there is something important for you to overcome.
“F-E-A-R has two meanings:
‘Forget Everything And Run” or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’
Reflecting on your fear through creativity will change your perspective. You will realize that the meaning and intensity of your fear will shift after you express your fear creatively. It might even disappear forever.
Focusing on problems all the time will not help you to have a sense of fulfillment and happiness. On the contrary, practicing your strengths will increase your motivation from inside towards life, people, and situations.
Therefore, learn about your strengths and practice how to use your strengths in challenging situations. Knowing your strengths will help you to ground yourself and stay at your core in times of stress.
Don't let fear control your life. If you give in to fear, everything you do from now onwards will be dictated by that fear and not your will to enjoy and your life. Fear can be crippling if you do not handle it well. If it is starting to get too much, we would suggest you speak to a professional coach to help you safely analyze your fear and take steps to improve it thus allowing you to move forward and leave fear behind. Become fearless.
If you are someone who is interested in becoming a coach yourself, head on over to our program page to learn our FLOW Coaching Methodologies that are deeply rooted in the Science of Positive Psychology. We can't wait to see you.
Millennials are motivated by perks, gym membership, free coffee, lunch and drinks. However, what they really look for in an employer is much more than only receiving these benefits. So many studies now are showing us that Millennials want to continuously learn and grow in their jobs. Moreover, they are looking for a good coach more than ever. In a recent global survey, 1400 millennials appreciated and looked for more feedback from their managers.
In contrast, their counterparts are okay with less feedback less often. The study shows millennials want feedback 50% more often than other people at work. Millennials claim that their best source of development is their manager.
Millennials express that they want more help for their personal development rather than managerial directions. According to a study, millennials said they want to progress in their careers and do that; it's essential to receive coaching support from their manager. To lead effectively in today's workplace, managers need to put more effort into understanding young people's mindsets. Millennials show more self-esteem, more anxiety and need more appreciation. Active listening, asking timely and effective questions, and giving them headspace are coaching skills that will help managers coach and understand Millennials better.
Let's take a look at what kind of coaching support millennials expect from their managers:
Millennials want to be inspired. Millennials respond more to causes that help people. A company's mission with a higher purpose is more inspirational and motivational for millennials than just actions for the organization's or team's success.
Leaders are role models. Just by appreciating an employee's action, whether privately or in a team meeting and providing a pat on the back, inspires an employee. It's as simple as that.
Millennials want to be surrounded by good colleagues. It is fascinating, but young people are often heard saying they want to be surrounded by people they can learn from. They are very flexible and easy to put an impression on; a little boost can go a long way to improving performance. Millennials look up to their managers and better colleagues and enjoy healthy competition. A coaching culture in the workplace can provide such an environment where the best performance is appreciated.
Millennials crave authenticity. Young people like to interact with more approachable managers. They look up to managers who share their own stories of victories and failures; such people can be role models for them. Coaching managers lean towards authenticity, and they are not afraid to show their true and honest feelings. Authentic coaches know how to build trust and establish the right tone for relationships that help young people grow and learn.
Management through coaching is not about telling people or advising them. Instead, it is helping them achieve their best potential and help them get where they want to be. The best managers are the best coaches who can help unlock a person's potential to maximize their performance. Millennials have unique characteristics, and they make most of the organization's workforce. They must be coached in the right direction.
Learning to ask powerful coaching questions is one of the most valuable skills that coaches use in helping their clients explore what is truly important and meaningful for them. Questions help coaches dive deeper into the client's mindset, but the client also gains clarity during answering effective coaching questions. With the right coaching questions, the coach truly understands what the client is going through and where he wants to get.
Following are some of the ways to practice effective questions.
1. Short, Concise and Simple:
Coaching questions should be simple, to-the-point and easy to understand by your client. Long questions often make it difficult to follow and become complex. A succinct question will help your client to explain themselves easily and also helpful for the coaching process to get to the core of the issue at hand. An excellent technique for asking a complex question is breaking it up into shorter questions and asking one at a time.
2. Open-ended Questions:
Open-ended questions are the most crucial tool in a coach's toolbox of skills. Open-ended questions are the one which cannot be answered in a one-word response or just with a "yes/no." Coaches use open-ended questions to dive deep into the client's mindset and learn more. With open-ended questions, coaches get a clearer perspective of what the client is really thinking or feeling as an open-ended question is open to various responses. Additionally, closed-ended questions put a full stop to the conversation rather than expanding and opening the topic to a broader discussion.
An example of a closes-ended question would be: "Do you like your job?" whereas an open-ended question would be "What do you like about your job?"
3. Non-judgmental:
A coach must be careful that his questions do not show any bias, opinion, prejudice or judgement. An example of such a question would be, "Why would you do something like that?!" Of course, the tone of voice plays a huge role here and the reasoning behind asking the question as well. If you use a sarcastic or offended tone, it would be very judgmental; a coach's job is not to judge other people's opinions. If you explain the reasoning behind your question and ask in a polite tone, the same question would be perceived differently. Of course, the question will define that you want to know more about their actions and their reasons for behaving in a particular manner rather than you being judgmental. Also, you mustn't impose such questions where there can be only one correct or accurate answer, as in some cases, this might also be perceived as judgmental or getting out a particular response from your client.
4. Language Mirroring:
The questions you ask must mirror your clients' same terms and exact words that they use to describe the issue. This way, your client will feel more connected and would be able to visualize the goal. It will also help you gain the trust you need in your coaching sessions as the client will feel heard.
An example would be:
Client: "I feel like I am on top of the world."
Coach: "What exactly makes you feel like you are on top of the world?"
5. Exploring Willingness to Change:
Coaches can also ask questions to explore clients' willingness to change and find reasons why they didn't make certain decisions in the past to help them change.
An example would be: "What are the obstacles that didn't allow you to move forward with this decision?"
This helps with reasoning why the client had to seek a coach and why they didn't make specific changes by themselves? Such questions also help coaches understand the client's past and help the clients stay focused on future goals.
Using the right question type at the right time will come with practice. Using the above criteria will help you in coming up with the right ones. It is helpful to make a list of your most compelling questions you have asked your clients. Asking the right questions helps clients open up and makes a huge difference in their progress. The questions you ask make you the coach you are, and with practice, you will get better.
If you want to learn more about what questions to ask, enroll in one of our signature ICF Accredited Coach Certification Programs to learn more! Email now at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com to learn more.
The Human Resources (HR) department, specifically the HR professionals, is faced with many unique cases and circumstances. The COVID crisis has yet put them in a challenging situation which is the challenge of dealing with employees who are at the surge of struggling with mental health problems. If HR professionals do not have the skills required to deal with this subject, their initial response to the situation could be damaging. Therefore, HR professionals must be educated on the subject of handling the mental well-being of employees.
While the idea of mental well-being may seem complicated, the human resources departments can take simple steps to tackle the situation.
Here are some ideas which can help.
The first response of HR professionals of any organization should be to educate them and the employees of the meaning and benefits of a productive state of mental health. The stigma must be ended, which creates misrepresentations and misunderstandings. Once the taboo is broken, it becomes easier for people to ask for help. One in five Americans experiences mental health problems at least once in their lives. Because of the fear of being labelled by others or treatment costs and other reasons, only a quarter of them receives proper treatment. It is essential that HR teaches the workforce basics of mental health challenges and diminish the myths associated with it.
HR departments can best support their employees by providing valuable resources to them. Special training programs can train the management on how to best handle the situation once it becomes evident that someone in their team struggles with mental health. HR departments can also list the supported health care professionals to put the employees in the right direction.
It is essential to let the person struggling to know that s/he is being listened to. One of the best things is to let the person know that you are there to help even though you may not relate to their condition. Having someone to share thoughts with can prove extremely useful to people with struggling mental health. Furthermore, an open and supportive work environment must be created. Such an environment makes it easy to spot mental health problems as people are more expressive. Things can be handled before they take a terrible turn.
A more flexible approach to working conditions can significantly help people with mental health issues. Working from home and flexible hours can make more difference than most people think. A flexible approach to working means employees take fewer days off due to work-related stress and mental breakdowns.
Organizations are familiar with providing executive coaching, career coaching or mid-level managers performance coaching support. Organizations are using this time to bond with their employees and support them through Covid-19 stress by providing online life coaching and mindfulness sessions and group coaching sessions to help cope with stress and anxiety.
Well-being at work is the new talk of the town. Progressive organizations encourage positive well-being at work, such as benefits and incentives to reduce employee stress levels and manage their anxiety. Improving well-being at work is a preventive measure for mental health.
All employees are prone to having mental health problems, especially during crisis time; it's common in all organizations. Every business comes with a responsibility to support its staff. Small steps in the right direction can help reduce stress among employees. It is impossible to help everyone, but HR professionals can put things in place. Creating a positive and open environment where employees can seek help can make all the difference.
If you are a mental health professional or an HR professional and want to learn how to best support people by coaching them, please contact us at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com.
The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by the storm. Conventional ways of working of individuals and teams don’t work as effectively anymore. However, considering the challenges many organizations have very quickly and successfully adapted to remote working with little time to prepare.
The lockdowns changes everything. Many people travelled to their home towns in remote locations, preferring to be close to their friends and family during these times. Many of them were very new to this arrangement of working from home for an extended period of time.
Remote working is not going anywhere anytime soon. The flexibility that the remote working offers is set to impact future career and lifestyle changes.
However, to maintain the synergy as a team during and after the crisis is critical to the organization’s success. The shift to remote working requires that employees stay connected, collaborative and interactive while being in remote teams.
Even after the pandemic has subsided many employees will continue remote working. Based on a study three quarters of financial executives plan to shift at least some of their employees to fill time remote work after the crisis has ended.
With the slightest of the disconnect in communication leading to disengagement, it is important to stay connected virtually and hence there is a strong need for robust leadership during these times to keep everyone together. Tough times call for effective leadership and this blog we will talk about a few ways of effective leadership during remote work.
Based on research the following methods are found to work for better leadership during remote working.
1. Maintain continuous and effective communication:
When employees are away from their office, working from home it is easy to feel disconnected from the organization. A good leader must implement frequent, clear, dialogue-based communication. These are basic communication skills however they are very crucial when the workforce is scattered. Some examples of such communication could be:
2. Provide resources and care for physical and mental health:
It is not surprising that based on a research, employees appreciated company-sponsored COVID-19 tests and masks. But what is surprising is that twice the number of employees appreciated steps taken by the company/leader to foster mental wellness and support them during the times of social isolation. Some examples of these steps are:
3. Making sure remote employees stay engaged and useful:
Remote work can increase productivity when employees are working on stand-alone tasks and when they don’t require help of others however when employees are needed to collaborate with other teams, working from home can have a negative impact. Some important steps to avoid this negative impact is:
4. Creating boundaries between work-life balance:
Working remotely may blur boundaries between work-life balance. On one hand it reduces the need for transportation and allows people to spend time with their family, on the other hand employees may have to spend extra time on tasks and building work. A study found remote workers logged on 2-3 more hours per day than usual. Especially when schools are closed and dare care facilities are in lock down it becomes even harder to maintain work and professional life. Some of the best ways to help employees manage work-life balance are below:
5. Don’t lose track of strategic goals:
Common strategic goals include, new products and designs, encouraging innovation, efficient operations, digital transformation and so on. Its understandable that a global crisis can distract leaders however this is a mistake not to be made. Shifting to remote working creates new challenges in achieving strategic goals for example gaining market share is not easy when the market itself is collapsing. Leaders must keep in mind to build a budding corporate culture during working from home.
Working from home has also provided different opportunities to progress on strategic goals. According to a study employees appreciated remote learning opportunities provided to them as most useful to build exceptional skills during lockdown. Shift in working from home provides an opportunity to organization to rethink and revaluate existing business processes to boost efficiency and effectiveness.
Remote work is increasingly becoming the new way of working. It brings new opportunities and challenges. Organizations around the world are experimenting with novel management practices to manage the transition to a more distributed workforce. We are still in the early days, and it’s not yet clear which of these approaches will endure. Leaders cannot afford to wait for long— they need to act now to help their employees and organizations shift to remote work. We hope that our blog will help leaders as they navigate into an uncertain future.
If you are a manager or leader looking to become a coach please visit our program schedule to enroll in one of our upcoming programs.
Are you interested in becoming a coach? Have you always asked yourself how do coaches make money? There are tonnes of resources out there teaching you how to start your online coaching business, but how many of them actually talk about the mistakes that you should avoid making when starting your online coaching business?
So, that's what we're doing today -- let's look at some of the top 5 mistakes you should avoid when starting your online coaching business. This list was curated by our team of coaches that have been in the industry for over 10 years, let our mistakes be your lessons.
Just because your business is now online, doesn't mean that it's not going to take off immediately and everyone is going to be able to see it. Being able to put together a website doesn't just take time and effort from a technical standpoint but you also need to know a few things before jumping in:
All these questions need answers and if you don't have them -- you have an unfinished product. This is why I strongly suggest you take the time to truly understand what it is you are trying to sell as a coach and grow from there. Understand that work is going to be needed and a lot of it is going to be extremely hard work. But, as a coach myself, I can very easily say that it's extremely fulfilling.
Yes, you can become a coach without getting certified but ICF has done multiple surveys and over 70% of people prefer to be coached by someone who is certified. Certification gets you much further because people trust you more now. They know that you were willing to put in the effort and the time to become a certified coach.
They also know that it isn't cheap to become a coach. This just shows potential clients your dedication and they will be able to trust you a lot more.
At the end of the day, knowing what your product is and how you are going to sell your coaching skills is one part of the equation. The other part is sometimes people make the mistake of spending too much money setting all of that up. You don't need an amazing website with 5 funnels and 20 drip emails.
All you need is a simple website that showcases yourself, your story, the types of coaching sessions available, and your contact details. There's no need to go crazy at the start.
Starting a business cost money, there is no way around it. But, we would also suggest always have a set budget that you are willing to spend to ensure that you know what your limits are. Sometimes people spend way too much money on something that they don't need and then they realize that they could have spent that money doing something completely different instead.
Running a business isn't easy -- especially when it's something new like coaching. A lot of people are learning from scratch when it comes to the world of coaching. And sometimes they trust the wrong people and with that causes a lot of issues. Because bad advice can cause you to stray from what is truly important. So, always focus on finding the right mentors for you as well.
There you have it! Our top 5 mistakes that you should avoid when starting your own coaching business. If you are looking to get certified, please check out our program page to learn more about our next intakes. We can't wait to see you.