Intelligence, for long was regarded as function
of rational, logical part of the brain. Thanks to tremendous amount of research
and work that happened in neurosciences, ancient wisdom, behavioral sciences
among other disciplines- Intelligence is also recognized in different aspects
and human faculties. There are several ways in which intelligence is expressed
and recognized- numerical, linguistic, logical, analytical, emotional, social and
spiritual.
In Transformational Coaching, it is my
experience that when coach facilitates Client’s decision making process in a
manner wherein Client uses various aspects of intelligence- i.e. Emotional,
Intellectual, Spiritual and Integrative or Transcendental, the decision making
process as well as end decision is wholesome and enriching.
I present following coaching conversation with
Brandon*. Brandon is a dynamic, successful entrepreneur who is committed
towards success of his clients and learning something new each year to raise
his bar.
The said conversation was part of three coaching
sessions wherein Brandon was exploring Coaching Service as a new offering to
his clients in the new financial year. While he was comfortable in terms of talking
to his clients- mostly CEOs and entrepreneurs- and present coaching services
for middle and junior level managers, he was not sure of offering coaching
services for them. He wanted to explore his thoughts on the same and get ideas
on how he can make a successful presentation to his clients. In the previous
session, Brandon had worked on a creative metaphor to hold client’s attention.
We took from there and built on the continuity of the topic.
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Coach: Brandon, I invite you to visualize your clients sitting in front of
you in the same auditorium and reply the moment when you just finished your
pitch on coaching using your creative metaphor
Brandon: Yes, it is very much alive in my mind. I can see and feel the
excitement building up.
Coach: Brandon, now the situation is- for some reason, you cannot offer
coaching for middle and junior managers. You have only one coaching offering-
and that is for CEOs/entrepreneurs only.
Brandon: OK…but I am nervous about this situation. I think that they might
feel that I am burdening them too much.
Coach: And what would you burden them with?
Brandon: (after a long pause) I do not know!
Coach: What do you know about your relationship with them?
Brandon: I know that they trust me, I know that they find me as committed
service provider. Ok...if I share my personal experience as Coach, they may
believe that coaching is good for them
Coach: What else, besides personal experience?
Brandon: They are CEOs; they would need to see some research data....may be,
I will do some research and present research data on how many CEOs use coaching
services for them.
Coach: Or may be, you won’t?!
Brandon: No, I will present for sure. But I will use this only as
reference. I want to use my personal trust and rapport with them.
Coach: Brandon, I’d invite you to hold the image of you addressing your
clients. Please take deep breathes, settle down and just be aware of that image
in front of your mental eye.
Brandon: (after a long pause) Yes, I can see very clearly the entire image
Coach: Brandon, without uttering a word, if you have to communicate the
most essential message on your coaching offering, in form of energy
transmission, what would that be?
Brandon: My energy is reaching them. It tells them that I am committed to
your success. I have found something new and I am ready to share it with you.
Through coaching, you will be more successful.
Coach: I invite you to hold this communication in the belly around your
naval center. That is the seat of emotional energy.
What is the message that you get?
Brandon: I hear myself saying that we want to be successful; we have our
challenges- but with each other’s help, we can succeed. And I have something that
will be of great help to you.
Coach: What else?
Brandon: I feel confidence. And I want to share my confidence with them.
Coach: (after a brief pause) Brandon, it you are ready, I invite you to
take the same communication to your Brain or Thought intelligence and hold it
there.
Brandon: I feel trust. I can show them data and my experience as proof. I
tell them, that there could be resistance in your mind; but we can try it out.
I can offer them some free or discounted sessions. But I feel Trust here.
Coach: Brandon, one you are ready, I invite you to take the same
communication to your Heart center, seat of Integration and larger knowing.
Brandon: (after a long silence) I find different energy here. I am calm and
at the same time I am energetic. I am telling my clients, let us do it. I am
telling them that a lot is demanded from you as CEOs; and you are also human
beings- you need partnership, someone to express your ideas, emotions, check
your decisions etc. I find myself connecting with them on human terms.
I want to stretch my arms sideways. (his eyes still closed, Brandon
stretched his arms and stays in that posture for a few moments).
Now I think I am ready. Thank you coach!
We ended the session. Brandon later
informed me that he started working on different forms of communications
(email, broucher, one-on-one meetings etc. and requested for an off line/non-coaching
discussion to get my views on it,
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I came across practical application of
three intelligences in coaching context during Alan Seal’s Transformational
Presence Leadership & Coach Training program.
Basis ancient teachings, Alan proposes that
Emotions, Thoughts and Truth are three human intelligences, with their respect seats
being at Belly, Head and Heart respectively.
Coaching situation cited above brings out how
different intelligences manifest distinctly. As a coach, I could not stop
wondering how they work in their own unique way and then also integrate to
create a larger picture. I particularly found Brandon’s ‘stretching of arms’
and feeling expansive at heart intelligence interesting- as human heart is
supposed to have the highest degree of
electromagnetic field –even surpassing that of brain’s.
I have promised myself to look at more
experiences from different clients and run some research analytics later. Findings
could be interesting and potentially useful for coaches and potential clients.
- - Rajesh
(* This article is part of ‘Chronicles of a
Coach’ series. ‘Chronicles of a Coach’ series is intended to serve coaches,
leaders & managers who have coaching as part of their professional responsibility,
and also individuals who are curious about what coaching is and what coaching can do. Coaching subject, situation and coaching conversation is real; identity
of the client is however changed completely to protect confidentiality and
privacy.)
