Back in March 2023, when I was designing Coach Café, I created a list of coaching tools that I intended to use exclusively for my dream project. Over the months, I realized sharing insights into some of the tools use would be a great way to inspire and encourage everyone who is considering taking up professional coaching. I am confident that many of you would find my approach to the coaching tools as logical, fun, and interactive.
I am often asked for the best tools and recommendations for coaches. While there is no single correct answer to this question, there are a few tools and exercises that I feel are super useful to coaches. Let’s discuss two of my featured tools for the month that you may consider adding to your coaching toolkit.
Inner Leader/Wise Being: Sometimes, dilemmas and doubt overpower the conscious mind and hinder judgement. The inner critic takes control of the mind and leads to a complex situation. This usually happens at a point when the client is about to make a crucial decision but lacks confidence.
By now, we are familiar with our inner critic, but we also have a wise being or inner leader. Our inner leader has the power to shape our future. While we work on our inner critic, I find it extremely helpful to also work with the inner leader. I use a visualisation exercise to help my clients better connect with themselves.
This helps them reconnect with their own wisdom or inner leader and use it purposefully.
The 80th Birthday Exercise: Clients often approach coaches when they are facing an existential crisis or when they are unsure of what the future holds for them. At this point, words like ‘meaning’ and ‘purpose’ seem empty to them. This is when ‘The 80th Birthday Exercise’ is the most useful tool. This helps them to discover purpose in their lives and understand what they are longing for. It is almost like a reality check for them where they evaluate their current situation, make the necessary changes and gain control of their lives.
‘The 80th Birthday Exercise’ is simply a journey of moving forward through the passage of time. It uses stories and situations (in this case the 80th birthday) to help my clients better understand themselves or their situations.
As coaches, we help clients to imagine a situation, relate the same to their present, connect with themselves and finally grow.
Both the above mentioned tools use visualisation as the main element for growth and development. The power of visualisation is immense for both connection and retention. Use the power of visualisation to inspire your clients to take action.
Remember, coaching is powerful. There are loads of unique tools and techniques to help clients to connect with their true selves and achieve their desired goals. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Sounds interesting?
Want to learn more about the different coaching tools and their uses to get the best results for your clients?
Click below to sign up for my coaches’ monthly newsletter or learn more about the Coach Café where I share step by step guides for coaching tools.