What IO Coaching Is…
The Invisible Obvious is not just a snazzy catch-phrase. It is a very real space in each of us that is visible to many, but perhaps not ourselves. It can be the personal blind spot that doesn’t allow us to see and recognize our own uniqueness and individuality while it can appear quite obvious to others that may know us well or even encounter us anew.
Have you ever had someone say, “Well, of course you’d do that so well? Or, “That is so you!” only to be met with your temporary disbelief? That’s what we’re talking about - a greater self-awareness and ability to be more in tune with how others see you in the world. What are your gifts to share that can contribute to your own well-being and the well-being of your community?
Invisible Obvious coaching is a nuanced and holistic approach to better understanding you! While it may sound like a mysterious process, it’s really more of an accompanied journey. In our do-it-yourself culture, sometimes we don’t see the need for someone to collaborate with us, especially on our own growth.
I’m not going to be telling you what to do, but rather actively listening and asking questions to help you leverage a valuable outside perspective in order to help you become a better observer of yourself. By becoming observers of our own behavior, we can then start to identify the ways in which we can improve our lives for greater satisfaction and happiness.
The Tools I’ll Use
● Inquiry - A lot of questions. Open questions. Probing and incisive questions. Questions designed to help you observe yourself on the playing field of life.
● Mirroring – I’ll share with you the patterns I’m seeing, changes in your observable body language, if and when it’s relevant and helpful. I’ll remind you of things you’ve said or committed to.
● Relevant Context – I’ll help you understand human behavior and intra- and interpersonal dynamics as I’m familiar with various industries and roles and the unique context of knowing a number of ‘successful’ entrepreneurs, creatives and executives.
Coaching = Movement
Lastly, it’s helpful to think about my coaching as being designed to get you somewhere you want to go.
What IO Coaching Isn’t …
Coaching Vs. Other Helping Relationships
IO coaching is different from other forms of helping (e.g. therapy, mentoring, advising, consulting, etc.).
It’s only partly about how you got here, and even more about how you can get to there.
Therapy
The therapist seeks to help a client move from an unhealthy understanding of their past that may have created limiting beliefs holding them back in the present to a healthier understanding of what happened in the past so that the client can become unblocked in the present.
Advising & Mentoring
Advising and Mentoring are similar, with one key difference. An advisor gives advice based on a similar macro context. A mentor is somebody who's done the exact same job as you.
Consulting
Consultants bring a certain skill-set or area of expertise to bear on a specific problem or challenge and may or may not be a part of the actual action of solving the problem, but they are definitely involved in diagnosing the problem and sharing recommendations.
An Ongoing Practice
Growth isn’t a linear process--it’s not like you go through Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, and you’re done. Rather, as a client, you’ll likely be moving through several concurrent change processes at once. Some of it may feel straightforward and simple, and other aspects may feel cyclical and drawn out. But having a model of how the change process works can help you feel less lost in the process and more confident that the work you’re doing is moving you forward.
