There is no coaching process without life coaching aspects, agree? Every executive, every manager, and every entrepreneur is a human being in himself or herself with multiple roles around the clock, thus facing all kinds of personal challenges. Whether it be self-confidence, conflict management, assertive communication, or time management, the coach has many tools to help in holding up a mirror and finding the best suitable way out of the perceived problem. As a glimpse into a whole range of those tools, let’s have a look at just three:
Wheel of Life
This tool is one of the most commonly used in co-active coaching, primarily applied in life coaching, but it can be easily customized to many scenarios (e.g., identifying priorities, evaluating management competencies, etc.). The coachee has to name the eight sections to represent different aspects of his or her life. The coachee can mark his or her level of satisfaction with each life area by drawing a straight or curved line to create a new outer edge; this will give the wheel of the coachee’s life. The coach and the coachee can then jointly review how smooth the ride would be if this were a real wheel. Where does the coachee want to improve his or her level of satisfaction? What specifically can he or she do to achieve that?
Montage
Montage is an ideal tool for working with creative clients who prefer visual techniques. The coach asks the coachee to compile a montage of pictures describing him or her, his or her family, or his or her workplace, depending on the focus of the coaching. You can use glossy magazines, but some people prefer to take photos from their own family albums. This is an optimal tool for tackling work-life balance or assertiveness issues. It might occur that the coachee is not aware of the price he or she has to pay to achieve a goal. In such cases, it often helps if he or she, instead of sharing his or her story with consciousness, views the montage as a projection of himself or herself. It might be astonishing to see which fields of life he or she is neglecting (e.g., he or she only has pictures taken at work and with his or her kids and completely omits the “self” and his or her own needs). The montage might clearly illustrate what needs and expectations the coachee wants to fulfill.
Draw a Tree
Coaches with a psychology background often use this tool with remarkable results. We instruct the coachee to sketch a tree. When ready, he or she is asked to draw another one and a third one. The coachee is then instructed to gaze at the three trees and share any thoughts that come to mind while observing them. At this point, the coach displays the key. The first tree symbolizes how we present ourselves to the outside world; the second one represents how we live inside ourselves; and the third one represents how we would like to be.
Topics involving self-knowledge can effectively utilize this tool. As each client is unique, we must coach them at the stage where they currently are in their personal development and in the areas that are, in fact, the most pressing for them at the moment. This tool sheds light on the differences and possible contradictions between our self-image, roles, and desires.
