The journey from “This is the way I do things.” “This is the only way it will work” and “This is the way I have always done it..”, and other fixed approaches, to a more open, flexible and willing to explore mindset has been facilitated by my personal and professional growth, thanks to the world of coaching.
The communications professional in me showed up differently in two workshops last week, courtesy of this shift, reminding me about the importance of meeting clients where they are. Change happens from a place of honesty. When they can clearly see where they are and where they want to be in relation to their current position, the next steps become apparent.
A good workshop, I realise, is much like a good coaching session. It requires the facilitator to approach the session with curiosity and a trust in the process. What would make this useful for you? How would you know that you have gained value from the time spent? Is there something specific you would like to cover? Have you been through a similar experience before? What did you learn from it? These are some of the questions that helped me arrive at a baseline and know what the finish line looked like.
The book ends of a strong coaching conversation are what we call in ICF (International Coaching Federation) parlance CC (Core Competence) 3 – Establish and Maintain Agreements and CC 8 – Facilitates Client Growth. In layperson’s terms, “What do you want out of this session?” is where we start the engagement, or the contracting stage; and the end when we pause and ask “what? so what? and now what?” that allows post-session integration and action, related to the learning. This is exactly how I approach every workshop now.
Getting a read of the room and involving people is so important. It enables learning and forward movement. At the end of one of the workshops, a senior leader came up to me and said, “For me, any meeting that makes me pause and think is a good meeting. This session not only made me think, but it also made me act.”
I am grateful to get the opportunity to do work that allows me the privilege of being a catalyst for change. The topics of the two sessions were different. One was a crisis preparedness workshop. The other is a media training. One had 30 participants; the other had just 1. And yet the energy in both rooms was that of sharing and learning. A way to improve and drive the organisations forward.
I keep reminding myself to be flexible and oriented towards “meeting the clients where they are” and finding ways to deliver value (based on what they want). In both workshops, the original time allotted was significantly reduced. Instead of getting thrown out of gear by this, being able to find ways to work within the new parameters and still deliver value, Is possibly the evolution and growth in my own approach.
Earlier, I was fixed in “this is how I do it” and “this is how much time I need”. Now I’m moving towards “In the time we have, what’s most important for you?” And “How can I best facilitate this session to ensure the goals you have are met?”
The Pre-work ahead of both sessions, to understand the industry, the people, the triggers for the session, the stakeholders involved, and the way we will measure success, was a critical element. The trust and relationships that brought me into the room are what made the experience of working on these assignments pleasurable.
Trusting in myself and the process. Trusting in the people I am engaging with and their desire to learn. Trusting that what needs to emerge will emerge has held my hand and those of the participants as I delivered these two sessions. The key to success – meet clients where they are, figure out what they want and watch them go places.
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