Christian life coaches should be skilled and competent enough to help clients gain clarity on their goals, and therefore be able to make purposeful strategic decisions in their lives. Effective coaching should empower clients to break through obstacles, and grow into their fullest potential. In order for coaching to be successful, both parties require time and patience for the process to bear fruit, as well as an openness towards each other. In addition, a commitment to the process – and therefore the other party – is essential. The coaching process demands certain things from the coach – namely possession of a specific set of skills. However, for the client, the encouragement is less on skills and more on having a correct attitude from the beginning.
If you are currently a client or considering becoming a client of one of the many Christian life coaches out there, you need five essentials to truly maximise lasting personal growth:
Dialogue is essential to working with Christian life coaches
Successful growth requires dialogue, which is two-way communication between Christian life coaches and their clients that involves talking and listening. The client benefits by being able to express thoughts and feelings concerning the development process. They are also able to enjoy feedback from the coach as he or she partners with them throughout the process.
Vision is a must
Successful growth requires vision, which is looking forward to the developmental destination the client wishes to reach or attain. The client benefits from the vision of the coaching process as it should motivate and spur them onwards in their drive towards development.
Without commitment, there is no victory
Successful growth requires commitment, which is sticking with the process even when results don’t seem forthcoming. The client benefits from commitment when they continue to pursue the coaching process action plan, and begin to see results in their own lives.
There has to be a strategy
Successful growth requires strategy, which is a clearly defined set of practical steps for the client to undertake, that takes the form of an action plan. The client benefits from this strategy as it identifies the progressive steps for them to take on their coaching journey. In addition, they are able to look back over previous steps in the process and see how they have progressed and developed, giving them increased motivation.
You need openness
Successful growth requires openness, which is an attitude of vulnerable honesty and accountability throughout the course of the coaching process. The client benefits from this by allowing the coach to see the exact status of the client during the process, enabling the coach to be more specific and accurate in his constructive feedback. This can only be good for the client developmentally.
Christian Life Coaches want to see growth in their clients
Any growth that we want to see needs to be balanced, or it won’t be sustainable. Balanced growth is measured and thorough, encompassing one of five elements each of us has in our lives. Whether we are conscious of these elements or not, or have focused on them or not, each shapes and impacts the other elements, and therefore influences our life choices and results. Effective coaching for Christian living walks the client through each of these five elements, which builds upon the previous element. This ensures holistic growth. If one element hasn’t been given the appropriate time and assessment or is skipped altogether, the coaching will not bear long-term fruit and any impact will be short-term. Our growth will not be balanced or well-rounded. The five elements are:
Purpose is our mission – our reason for existence. Our destination is our vision – what does our dream look like when fully manifested? Values are the mentality we have, which shows itself in our actions and reveals our attitudes, mindsets and beliefs. Our systems are our personal framework of skills and knowledge. Lastly, goals are the strategy, tactics, targets, objectives and plans needed to see success. We all have these five areas, whether we are aware of them or not.
Christian Life Coaches Bring Panoramic Growth
‘Panoramic’ means ‘all-sight’ and covers seven questions of perspective that help us walk through each stage of the coaching journey. These questions are:
These questions help us identify:
- Where we have come from – not because we want to remain there, but it provides context and understanding as to why the present reality may have the shape it does.
- What our dreams, goals and aspirations are – what we, in our deepest places, want our lives to look like.
- Where we are going – is our current trajectory taking us towards, or away from, our dreams?
- Where we are today – we need to acknowledge our reality before we can bring transformation to it.
- What we are growing – are our current mindsets and attitudes helping or hindering the pursuit of our goals?
- How we are building – do our current skills and knowledge lend themselves to successful attainment of our goals, or do we need to see growth in either?
- What are the next steps – goals without actions are just fantasy.
Coaching for Christian living provides a framework for the coach to know what area he is to be asking questions into. It also brings a natural, logical structure to each session as well the whole process. This enables the coach to see where the client is on the journey, helping him to use the right tools to benefit the client.
As each question builds upon the previous, we can be certain that each of the five elements of our lives is impacted and we see holistic growth. This process is a powerful tool for both Christian life coaches and clients to ensure maximum benefit from the coaching journey.
Conclusion
Each of us is an individual with our own stories, complexities and layers. Coaching for Christian living brings a systematic process to a person to provide a framework for growth. Yet is also has enough flexibility that is a truly personalised experience. Coaching allows each of us to focus on our own growth, and with a partner, develop ourselves so we can be the best we can be.
This post is part of a series focusing on coaching. The series posts are:
- What Christian Life Coaching Is – And 5 Things It Isn’t
- 3 Focuses of Healthy Life Coaching for a Christian
- 5 Essentials For Clients of Christian Life Coaches
- 4 Keys To Unlocking Your Life Purpose As A Christian
To find out more about what coaching with me looks like and what you’ll benefit from, click here.
