Exploration tools for Online Coaching

As a coach we make use of a variety of coaching tools that complement the technique of listening and questioning, to accompany the client in their process of reflection and change. But how does it change when we are coaching online?

Even before the Coronavirus confinement, many coaches were already conducting telephone or online processes.

At this time, the transition from face-to-face sessions to a virtual practice has become a priority.

Although of course this objective has more elements to consider, in this post I will explain how you can make online sessions enjoyable and transformative, taking advantage of the wealth of coaching tools that are easy to adapt to the videoconferencing format.

It is important to remember that the structure of the session will continue to guide the phases we go through, just as in the face-to-face sessions:

• Reconnecting with our customer and creating a safe space
• Agree on the objective of the session
• Explore the issue and coach the person.
• Create an action plan to move toward your goal after the coaching session is over.

All the tools I am going to present are introduced in this same structure.

Start experimenting

For the exploration of the challenge, there are some techniques and tools that do not require adaptation and therefore are a good way to start experimenting. In this category we find for example relaxations, visualizations, use of metaphors, role plays, future visioning, exploring values and purpose, working with beliefs, the saboteur and emotions, etc.

In online coaching we work with what we are able to observe. It requires sharpening our listening, because our field of vision is limited to what appears on the screen. We become more sensitive to changes in the client's tone of voice or intonation, facial expression or hand gestures, the metaphors they use, and also to our own intuition. However, we may miss something important. This is why it is convenient to agree with the client how to make the information flow between the two of us, creating a special alliance for the virtual environment: in it I usually ask his collaboration so that he can verbalize what he is feeling in a proactive way, and let me know what he needs in each moment, because possibly I am not aware of it. I also ask her permission to "take the temperature" more often, to contrast my intuitions and to be wrong about them.

Templates

Tools that require a template, such as the Wheel of Life, the SWOT, the Coat of Arms, etc., are also easy to introduce in online coaching: we can send them in advance to the client by e-mail, share them through the virtual platform or simply ask them to draw them on a sheet of paper.

Body and space

And what to do with the tools that require the use of the body or space? Those where we ask the client to move through a figure on the floor, walk around the room, or express themselves with movement, for example the Body Statue, Perspective Exploration, Voice Dialogue, Hero's Path, the Three Perceptive Positions, the Merlin Method, the Trap, the Wind Rose, etc. It would be easy to dismiss them as "incompatible with the medium", but it is precisely here that the opportunity arises to break through the virtual barrier, and invite the client to detach from the computer to enter fully into the coaching experience:

• Imagine a straight line in the room, where does it start, where does it end?
• Put yourself in the place that represents your current situation. Where are you? What do you see?
• Change to another seat. What is it like?
• Choose a reference point that represents your desired situation. What have you chosen?
• Stand up and show me with your body how you feel.

When asking the customer to step out of their comfort zone, it will be very important to lead by example: get up first, mirror and amplify the customer's movements, show a lot of curiosity so they tell us what we may not be seeing, and challenge them to take advantage of the resources around them. Of course, some of these tools can also be easily transferred to a template, to work on paper.

Objects

As a last point, and one of my favorites, I recommend the use of objects. In his home or office, the client has at his disposal a great amount of office materials, personal objects, pictures, plants, furniture, toys... A fantastic source to make systemic configurations, for example, to symbolize milestones on a path, or to inspire creative Action Plans . In addition to dynamizing the sessions, because of their symbolic value, objects from the personal environment have a great anchoring power. And perhaps, whenever you look out that window, walk by that vase, or sit in that armchair, you will reconnect with the objective you worked on with you in the virtual session.

Now, I invite you to play with all the tools you love, and do fun and transformative sessions with your clients. I'd love to hear about your experiences!