Coaching has become an increasingly popular way for people to improve their skills and achieve their goals. From sports to business to personal development, coaching can take many forms and utilise a variety of techniques.

The first time I came in touch with coaching was in a leadership role. When I oversaw a few teams spread across several countries. And I wanted to work with a coach to help me perform at my best.

All my sessions were over video-call. Which was really practical for me. I could fit them into a tight schedule and do these sessions from home anytime.

As my sessions were over video call, we focused on talking. As in my coach asking me lots of questions, reflecting in her words what I was saying and with this help me get a lot of clarity.

What coaching method is best for you?

It was only once I decided to become a coach and took enrolled in a coaching class, that I realised there was a whole world of tools and methods that could be used.

These tools and methods stem from different backgrounds. Often they were developed by coaches or therapists. Sometimes their origin was a business development focus (such as the Disney method).

Any extra tool or method can be a nice add on to the pure question/reflection/talking part of coaching. But they should only be applied where it makes sense and they may help dig a bit deeper.

In this post I want to introduce you to 3 methods. All of those can be used in my coaching sessions. Whenever possible it’s the best to use them in person and not over video call, though.

1 – The inner team

The inner team is a great exercise to help you get clarity on the many voices inside you. My clients are sometimes torn between different opinions and directions and literally voices they hear.

That’s when I ask them to draw their inner team. All you need is a big piece of paper and different pens.

In this exercise, the client draws a shape in the form of a head and uses different coloured pens to draw circles for each voice or opinion they hear inside themselves. They can vary the size of the circles to reflect the importance of each voice.

Once the circles are drawn, the client can give each one a name, such as “courageous me.” Then, the client can speak out and write down what each voice says, such as “you can do it!” This method is called the Inner Team and is useful for gaining clarity on the various internal thoughts and opinions that may be influencing decision-making.

You’d be surprised how many “aha-moments” I have had when doing this exercise.

2 – The wonder question

The Wonder Question is a powerful coaching technique that helps the client to explore possibilities and envision the future. It involves asking the client a question that begins with “What if…?” followed by a positive outcome or scenario. For example, “What if you achieved all of your goals this year?” or “What if you had all the resources you needed to succeed?” The Wonder Question allows the client to imagine a positive future and can help to inspire action towards achieving that future. It can be a powerful tool for overcoming limiting beliefs and exploring new possibilities.

To help my clients better visualise this, I also like to ask “what if a wonder had happened over night and all your dreams have come true / all your problems are gone”. And then I ask them to describe what is different now. And that can start with having breakfast.

It’s a great visualisation technique. It’s also great to help you change perspective.

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3 – Short term coaching

The special thing about short term coaching is, that you coach in a very short time. That means, you focus immediately on the solution and don’t really spend much, if any time on the problem.

This allows the client to immediate focus on the positive, on possibilities and options.

This method can be super effective. It requires that both parties stay focused and focus on the outcome, rather than delving on any issues or reasons they exist in the first place.

Ready to talk? Have a look at my service offering.