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Coaching is unlocking a person's potential
Active listening or mindful listening allows the coach to participate in the conversation even when they are not speaking with the use of verbal and non-verbal cues to show the listener that the coach is interested. This can be demonstrated by a nod, or by paraphrasing, clarifying discrepancies, reflecting. Listening mindfully is a way of listening without judgement, criticism or interruption and paying attention in the present moment.
Through mindful listening, we are able to tap into their intuition in order to ask better questions and more evocative reflections. It is important to not only listen to what the patient is saying (cognitive) but also to the feelings and emotions behind it(affective listening). To be effective listeners, do not think about what you will say next until the client is able to say what he needs to tell you, pause after your client has spoken, do not interrupt, mirror what the client has said to confirm your understanding, listen for nonverbal cues -emotions, tone of voice, facial expressions, mood. ”Listen until I don’t exist” means listening to another person with your entire being. You are listening to what they are saying, how they are saying it, what they’re not saying, how they are feeling and what they are trying to express.
Through mindful listening, we are able to tap into their intuition in order to ask better questions and more evocative reflections. It is important to not only listen to what the patient is saying (cognitive) but also to the feelings and emotions behind it(affective listening). To be effective listeners, do not think about what you will say next until the client is able to say what he needs to tell you, pause after your client has spoken, do not interrupt, mirror what the client has said to confirm your understanding, listen for nonverbal cues -emotions, tone of voice, facial expressions, mood. ”Listen until I don’t exist” means listening to another person with your entire being. You are listening to what they are saying, how they are saying it, what they’re not saying, how they are feeling and what they are trying to express.
Establishing strong trust and rapport is important in coaching in order to generate a productive and fulfilling change process. It is important to understand these five qualities:
Hold Unconditional Positive Regard
According Carl Rogers, ”this involves showing complete support and acceptance of a person no matter what that person say or does.” (Cherry, 2020) These means that we support and care for out clients as a separate person, with their own feeling and experiences. This is an attitude of grace, knowing that whatever our client confesses to us their worst feelings and habits, they are still accepted and not judged. “Rogers believed that every person was born with the potential to develop in positive loving ways when they are welcome, understood and accepted). (Cherry, 2020) When a coach believes in his or her client and hold positive regard for them, whether they do or do not accomplish the relationship can foster self-efficacy and self-esteem. (Wellcoaches, 2019)
Show Empathy
This is listening with the intent to understand appreciate the clients’ experience, seeking first to understand and acknowledges the client’s right to feel and experience the situation. With listening empathetically, you get inside the client’s frame of reference and look out through it and see the world as they see it, understand their paradigm and understand how they feel or their attitudes towards eating. It is not that you agree with them, but it is that you fully and deeply understand that person and that you are willing to help. When clients feel judged and they feel a lack of compassion their self-efficacy and readiness to change may be undermined and they may be resistant to coaching.
Be a Humble Role Model
Health and wellness coaches should be role models, “walking the talk” without being arrogant and rude. We must be humble enough to admit that there is much more to learn on healthy eating and we are too are a work in progress. We can share to them a brief yet inspirational introduction on our journey to health and wellness, on how we started to embrace healthy cooking and healthy eating. Clients come to us not only to learn but to gain insights and inspiration for the journey.
Slow Down
Trust is a work in progress and is earned, established or can be lost during the course of the coaching session. That is why coaches should not hurry with regards to the outcome. The process is more important considering this is a long-term and lifelong journey. It is a lifestyle to be embraced. As coaches, we need to set aside the time to have a relaxed presence with our clients. Never be in a hurry and be completely present, savoring every moment you have with them. They will feel that and know that they are important and valued as a client.
Under-Promise and Over-Deliver
Coaches deliver every promise and is crucial in the coaching relationship. By delivering more than what is promised can create more trust and is a great way to build trust and rapport. Coaches may contact the clients through email or by phone to remind them of something important or congratulate them on the progress that they have made and/or offering an opportunity for extra coaching sessions without extra charge can really be a great relationship builder.
Hold Unconditional Positive Regard
According Carl Rogers, ”this involves showing complete support and acceptance of a person no matter what that person say or does.” (Cherry, 2020) These means that we support and care for out clients as a separate person, with their own feeling and experiences. This is an attitude of grace, knowing that whatever our client confesses to us their worst feelings and habits, they are still accepted and not judged. “Rogers believed that every person was born with the potential to develop in positive loving ways when they are welcome, understood and accepted). (Cherry, 2020) When a coach believes in his or her client and hold positive regard for them, whether they do or do not accomplish the relationship can foster self-efficacy and self-esteem. (Wellcoaches, 2019)
Show Empathy
This is listening with the intent to understand appreciate the clients’ experience, seeking first to understand and acknowledges the client’s right to feel and experience the situation. With listening empathetically, you get inside the client’s frame of reference and look out through it and see the world as they see it, understand their paradigm and understand how they feel or their attitudes towards eating. It is not that you agree with them, but it is that you fully and deeply understand that person and that you are willing to help. When clients feel judged and they feel a lack of compassion their self-efficacy and readiness to change may be undermined and they may be resistant to coaching.
Be a Humble Role Model
Health and wellness coaches should be role models, “walking the talk” without being arrogant and rude. We must be humble enough to admit that there is much more to learn on healthy eating and we are too are a work in progress. We can share to them a brief yet inspirational introduction on our journey to health and wellness, on how we started to embrace healthy cooking and healthy eating. Clients come to us not only to learn but to gain insights and inspiration for the journey.
Slow Down
Trust is a work in progress and is earned, established or can be lost during the course of the coaching session. That is why coaches should not hurry with regards to the outcome. The process is more important considering this is a long-term and lifelong journey. It is a lifestyle to be embraced. As coaches, we need to set aside the time to have a relaxed presence with our clients. Never be in a hurry and be completely present, savoring every moment you have with them. They will feel that and know that they are important and valued as a client.
Under-Promise and Over-Deliver
Coaches deliver every promise and is crucial in the coaching relationship. By delivering more than what is promised can create more trust and is a great way to build trust and rapport. Coaches may contact the clients through email or by phone to remind them of something important or congratulate them on the progress that they have made and/or offering an opportunity for extra coaching sessions without extra charge can really be a great relationship builder.
Open Ended Inquiry
Asking open-ended questions will help us to draw out the opinions and thoughts of our clients by giving us a thorough reply. This will enable them to open-up and for to set the direction of the conversation. General questions that start with “what” can help you in eliciting more from your clients, “Why” is an open-ended question but they do not accomplish the spirit of the open-ended question for it may put your client to be defensive. “Why did you do that?” sounds accusatory, than when you say “ What do you think lead you to choose this over this?” or “How can we increase your vegetable intake?” Starting the question with “do”, “would”, “could”, “can”, “will” is going to be close-ended. (i.e. Do you like eating vegetables? Can you increase your fruit intake?
Coach Ed is checking on Lea to see how she did with her goals from last week. “Did you have green leafy vegetables for lunch? He asks.
“Yes,” she replies.
“That’s great.” Says Ed, “Did you like it?”
“Yes” she replies again.
“Wonderful. Can you increase your intake of green leafy vegetable next week?”, he asks.
“Maybe not,” she says.
“Yes,” she replies.
“That’s great.” Says Ed, “Did you like it?”
“Yes” she replies again.
“Wonderful. Can you increase your intake of green leafy vegetable next week?”, he asks.
“Maybe not,” she says.
Close-ended questions can lead to a dead-end, lifeless conversation that tend to shut down the conversation. We should encourage open-ended questions because it promotes story telling and these stories are what move people to change. “What” and “how” are great coaching questions. Other examples of open-ended questions are as follows:
- What would you like to accomplish in the next six, three, months?
- What motivators are important for you to overcome the obstacles in meeting your goals?
- What will it take for you to make changes?
- What would you like the outcome of our coaching program to be?
- What is important to you than meeting your goal?
- What would you like to do?
- What is the best-case scenario if you achieve your goal?
“I had green leafy vegetable for lunch every day last week. I tried to make different recipes for it, sometimes I add them to soups, other times I eat is as a salad, or add it to my sandwich and often I just blanched it hot water and dipped it in lemon, pepper, a little salt,” she mused.
“That is quite a great start for you with you being creative in utilizing green leafy vegetables to be incorporated to your lunches,” Ed added. “What did you enjoy about it?”
“I was really surprised that with the right combination of things, the green leafy vegetables was not bad at all and actually I enjoyed eating it, knowing it would be good for my body.”
“I am really glad you are beginning to like green leafy vegetables now. What will you do with this experience next week?” Ed asks.
“I would like to increase my green leafy vegetables intake on Mondays to Fridays, and I would like to have them for dinner every Monday and Wednesday. We usually have company dinners on other days and maybe I could request to have green salads to be incorporated in the menu for my co-workers to also try.
“That is quite a great start for you with you being creative in utilizing green leafy vegetables to be incorporated to your lunches,” Ed added. “What did you enjoy about it?”
“I was really surprised that with the right combination of things, the green leafy vegetables was not bad at all and actually I enjoyed eating it, knowing it would be good for my body.”
“I am really glad you are beginning to like green leafy vegetables now. What will you do with this experience next week?” Ed asks.
“I would like to increase my green leafy vegetables intake on Mondays to Fridays, and I would like to have them for dinner every Monday and Wednesday. We usually have company dinners on other days and maybe I could request to have green salads to be incorporated in the menu for my co-workers to also try.
Coaching Presence
Coaching Presence, empathy, appreciative inquiry should be done in the first session, coaches encourage the patient to acknowledge gaps between his perceived confidence in preparing healthy foods and importance of healthy food preparation. He is then directed to his wellness vision like to “ improve intake of healthy food through increasing time spent cooking” or “improving my snacking habits in the office to include just healthy snacks everyday” “buying healthy choices such as humus and carrots on Saturday and bringing them to my office to be used as snacks. “ choosing healthy cheese on Saturday while shopping.
Researches have shown that health coaching both in-person and remote coaching is effective in helping people make positive dietary changes. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that nutritional coaching by phone and email helped obese patients lose as much weight as they did with in person coaching visits.
Encourage patients to stick to long term behavior change by teaching them skills so they could make sustainable change, by increasing their confidence levels will really pay off long term.
Help make the patient commit to cooking more often, with letting them start with a simple recipe, maybe once a week like adding whole-wheat pasta into the boiling water-to get the patient into the cooking habit.
To cut down on cooking time, help them make large batches of a dish, portion it out and store in serving portions in the freezer for future consumption.
Patient-centeredness
Coaching is tailored to the individual’s specific needs, concerns, circumstances and readiness to change.
Patient determined goals
Use of self-discovery
Accountability
Content education
Researches have shown that health coaching both in-person and remote coaching is effective in helping people make positive dietary changes. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that nutritional coaching by phone and email helped obese patients lose as much weight as they did with in person coaching visits.
Encourage patients to stick to long term behavior change by teaching them skills so they could make sustainable change, by increasing their confidence levels will really pay off long term.
Help make the patient commit to cooking more often, with letting them start with a simple recipe, maybe once a week like adding whole-wheat pasta into the boiling water-to get the patient into the cooking habit.
To cut down on cooking time, help them make large batches of a dish, portion it out and store in serving portions in the freezer for future consumption.
Patient-centeredness
Coaching is tailored to the individual’s specific needs, concerns, circumstances and readiness to change.
Patient determined goals
- Patient is encouraged to set his set his own goals in the area of food preparation, then encouraged to set additional goals in other wellness area.
- Weekly goals could include goals in food preparation
Use of self-discovery
- When patients ask for culinary advice, he is asked if he would like an answer or do an active learning
Accountability
- Progress toward weekly goals and long-term goals are discussed weekly
Content education
- Self-management of certain diseases like diabetes is defines as “ the systematic provision of education and supportive interventions to increase patients’ skills and confidence in managing their health problems. One of the aspects of the self-management program includes providing training in problem-solving skills
Article Review
Video Review
Unit Task
- Task 1: Submit your Reflective Journal after watching the videos, reading the lesson and article.
- Task 2: Look for a patient/client who is a good subject for coaching (preferably with actual dietary concerns) and apply the coaching process you learned from the this unit. Create a summary on what transpired on your coaching session.