Life coaching is an exciting and growing field that has limitless applications. Many people need that objective person in their life to help them see new angles or opportunities for change that seem to elude them for any number of reasons. And, to be a competent life coach, you need to practice. That is exactly what you get to do in this assignment.
You will conduct an actual coaching session with another person of your choosing using the Best Possible Future Self exercise that you were exposed to in Workshop Four. As part of the planning for this coaching session, you were asked in Workshop Two to set up the coaching conversation with a person you know (an adult family member, a friend, or a coworker). It is best if you have some ongoing relationship and a good rapport with this person. In setting up the conversation, you were to ask the person if they would help you with a school-related assignment that focuses on life coaching. You were to introduce it as a 30-minute conversation where you will ask them some questions about how they would ideally like their future life to look—this could include their job, health, desire to help others, family life, finances, etc. You didn’t want to tell them much more than this so their responses would be spontaneous.
The goal of this assignment is to give you an actual feel for how to coach someone using principles from Positive Psychology and integrate key learning from other parts of the course in the coaching process.
You will conduct the coaching session using a modified approach of the Best-Possible-Self Exercise you did for yourself in Workshop Four. You will recall from Workshop Four that this tool is commonly used in coaching to help increase optimism. It requires the person to envision an imaginary future where everything has turned out exactly as that person would have liked. This exercise has been shown in studies to increase a person’s mood and well-being.
As you do the coaching session, remember that you are a coach-in-training. Don’t expect everything to go smoothly or to know all of the answers. Stick with the questions and the agenda provided for you and it should enable you to walk through the session on solid ground. If you want to ask questions in addition to the ones provided, feel free to do so. But, keep the conversation focused on the person’s future self.
Specific directions are provided in the Background Information section. A few additional pointers:
· After asking for and acquiring their permission, verbally ask your coaching subject the questions and record the conversation so that you can refer back to specific points when writing up your reflection paper for this assignment.
· Be sure to ask all of the questions provided and any additional ones you think are relevant.
· After the conversation is completed, listen to the recording of the coaching session and write a four- to five-page paper that reflects on the questions listed in this assignment.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
· Conduct a coaching session using a proven coaching tool.
Background Information
Here is the modified approach to the Best-Possible-Self Exercise that you will use with your subject. Be sure to ask all of the questions listed.
Instead of having your subject write out his/her ideas of a future self, you will verbally ask a series of questions and record the conversation after asking for and acquiring their permission. Most people have phones that will record. Tell your subject, “There are no wrong answers, but you should dream and dream big (but realistically) as you brainstorm answers to the questions.”
Here are the questions you will ask your subject:
· What type of work would your ideal future self want to do (it doesn’t depend on outside factors)? What interests you about this work?
· What talents, skills, and abilities would your future self like to have? How would you use them?
· How would your ideal future self define your purpose in life? Do you feel that sense of purpose now? If not, why not?
· How would your ideal future self like to make a difference in the lives of others? Get specifics.
· What would your ideal future self like to change, if anything, as it relates to your family life?
· What other parts of your future self would you like to envision?
Once you’ve completed the interview, you will go into more of the coaching interaction with the subject. Frame the following questions with your chosen coaching style in mind: problem-solving, identifying values, or facilitating growth. Ask your subject these processing questions:
· Having brainstormed these ideas, do you feel more optimistic about your future? If so, how?
· What have you learned about yourself in your responses to these questions?
· What is one future item you mentioned that you would like to begin working on right now in order to realize that future vision?
· How do you intend to start? (If the person is general and vague, offer a more concrete suggestion that is measurable.)
· Insert a question of your own that reflects your chosen coaching style (record this question in your paper).
After the conversation, listen to the recording of the entire coaching session and write a four- to five-page paper in response to the question in the assignment.
Instructions
1. Read Chapter 9, “Coaching through Transitions and Change,” in your textbook Positive Psychology in Coaching: Applying Science to Executive and Personal Coaching.
2. Conduct the practice coaching session following the instructions in the Background Information section.
3. After the coaching conversation, listen to the recording of the coaching session and write a four- to five-page paper in response to the following questions:
a. What impressions do you have of your subject’s ideal future self? Are his/her dreams realistic and achievable? Could you see optimism or an upbeat mood in the responses?
b. What did you think you did well in the coaching conversation? Be specific.
c. What do you need to work on in future coaching sessions? Be specific.
d. If you were to develop an action plan for this person based on his/her answers, what three points would you suggest as places to start to facilitate change? Again, be specific and show emphasis in your action plan on your chosen coaching approach: problem-solving, values, or growth.
e. If you were to do this conversation over again with the same person, what would you change? Explain each point.
4. Be specific in your responses and use concrete examples from the textbook, supplemental readings, outside sources, and personal experiences to frame your writing.
5. Use APA 7th Edition Paper Template.
6. If you use outside resources in the development of your paper, be sure to appropriately cite the material.