How do you assess and leverage your coachee's strengths and values in your coaching process?

Strengths and values are our personal roadmaps, guiding our actions and decisions. Our strengths are our natural talents that fuel performance and resilience, providing joy and fulfillment. Values are our core beliefs that serve as our moral compass, shaping motivations and perceptions of success. When these align, we experience 'flow,' enhancing productivity and satisfaction. Conversely, misalignment may trigger stress and dissatisfaction. Thus, understanding and aligning strengths and values are pivotal to individual and societal well-being.

Strengths and values matter because they provide a framework for self-awareness, goal-setting, motivation, resilience, and positive relationships. By consciously leveraging strengths and living in alignment with values, individuals can unlock their full potential, experience greater fulfilment, and achieve meaningful success.

Our values are the pillars our entire life is built on - success, family, integrity, love, relationships, wealth... I have a structured process for assessing and working with my clients' top values and identifying if they conflict with the work they perform. If depression is caused by internal conflict between our job and a top value, it can instantly disappear when changing the type of work we do.

From an organisational and personal values alignment perspective, a coachee's strengths and values are important for their career satisfaction and for the company benefit from their strengths. Since our personal values govern the way in which we behave and inform our decision making, our interactions and our satisfaction, it stands to reason that finding a company that aligns with your values will be beneficial for both the individual and the organisation. If the values of a company are in conflict with a coachee's own values it will prove difficult for them to bring their true strengths and authentic self to work and the organisation will never get the best out of the coachee. The coachee will be unfulfilled and productivity will dip.

Strengths and values matter in coaching because they provide a solid foundation for personal growth and fulfillment. By understanding and leveraging their strengths, coachees can maximize their potential and achieve greater success. Values guide decision-making and goal setting, ensuring alignment with one's authentic self. Coaches who recognize and appreciate strengths and values can help coachees build confidence, resilience, and motivation. They can facilitate goal-setting that is meaningful and aligned with coachees' core values, leading to greater satisfaction and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.

Assessing a coachee's strengths and values is a crucial step in the coaching process, as it provides insights into their unique qualities and guiding principles. Here are some approaches to assess strengths and values: -> Self-Reflection and Self-Assessment -> Questioning and Exploration -> Feedback and Observations -> Assessment Tools -> Past Success Analysis -> Active Listening and Observation Remember, assessing strengths and values is an ongoing process that requires active exploration and reflection. Use a combination of approaches to gather a holistic understanding of the coachee's unique attributes.

Understanding your client's strengths and values is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of 'who' your client is. This is the foundation of understanding motivation, potential and how best to support someone in reaching their stated goals. It's also important to remember that many people have a limited capacity to recognize when they are creating internal blocks to success through limiting beliefs. By leveraging a client's strengths in a cross contextual manner, clients can create strategies for overcoming both internal and external blocks to their desired outcomes.

I can suggest five ways to discover and identify one’s core Values : Reflect on life experiences: Take time to reflect on your past experiences and think about what you learned from them. What did you enjoy about them? What did you dislike? Explore your emotions: Pay attention to the emotions you feel in different situations. They can be a clue to your values. E.g. you feel satisfaction when you offer help. Think what you stand for: Consider what you believe in and what you are willing to fight for. Who are your role models: Think about those you admire and why? What values they embody?You may discover your affinity values. Take a values assessment: There are many online values assessments available that can help you identify your values.

Assessing a coachee's strengths and values requires a multidimensional approach. Through open-ended questions, assessment tools, behavioral observations, and third-party feedback, a comprehensive picture emerges. Each method offers unique insights, capturing both self-perceptions and external perspectives, enabling a holistic understanding of the coachee’s strengths and values crucial for effective coaching.

One aspect I have found helpful is developing a great understanding of how your client thinks- Finding out quickly in the beginning process - Is your client truly committed to changing or are they just a talker and not a doer. Do they understand their own strengths and weaknesses? Do they have a: Hunger to learn. Grow in knowledge. Develop a greater understanding of themselves. Develop greater self discipline. The the ability and motivation to become a person of Authority and influence.

Leveraging your coachee's strengths and values is a powerful way to support their growth and maximize their potential. Here are some strategies to effectively leverage strengths and values in coaching: -> Create Awareness -> Strengths-Driven Goals -> Values Alignment -> Strengths-Based Action Plans -> Strengths-Based Problem-Solving -> Amplify Strengths -> Values-Driven Decision-Making -> Continuous Development The goal is to help the coachee leverage their strengths and values to achieve their objectives and enhance their overall well-being. Focusing on these strengths helps coachees to thrive, perform at their best, and lead a fulfilling and meaningful life.

The higher a leader gets in an organization, the less frequent the feedback. So, part of a coaches role is to point out and reinforce the behaviors a coachee exhibits that clearly and powerfully align to their values. I'm doing so, the coach is helping the leader to calibrate their day-to-day behaviors with their "espoused values" so their peers and teams view them as authentic and consistent (in who they say they are and how they show up in key moments).

A coach can leverage a coachee's strengths and values by identifying and highlighting their unique abilities and core beliefs. They can encourage the coachee to leverage their strengths in pursuing their goals and solving challenges. By aligning coaching activities with the coachee's values, the coach can increase motivation and engagement. They can explore how the coachee's strengths can be applied in various contexts and guide them to make decisions that align with their values. This approach empowers the coachee to tap into their full potential, fostering growth, and enhancing overall satisfaction and fulfillment.

Once coachee is aware of the strengths and values. As a coach support plan immediate actions, and plan steps to achieve the goal leveraging the strengths and values.

identifying unhelpful thought patterns is vital in becoming the best version of yourself, holding onto unhelpful thought patterns can hold you back in reaching your full potential. A few great questions to ask are: 1. What evidence is there for this thought/ against this thought? 2. Am I basing this thought on facts, or on feeling? 3. Could I be making an inaccurate assumption here? 4. How might someone else interpret my situation differently? 5. Am I viewing all the evidence or just what supports my beliefs ? 6. Could my thinking be an exaggeration of what is actually true .

Recognize and challenge your own biases, assumptions, &preconceptions. Cultivate a non-judgmental mindset and create a safe space for open dialogue. Practice active listening & refrain from making assumptions about the coachee's experiences or abilities. Be mindful of power dynamics & ensure an equal partnership. Avoid imposing your own values or solutions onto the coachee and instead support their self-discovery and autonomy. Continuously seek feedback & remain open to learning & growth. Regularly reflect on your coaching practices and seek supervision or peer support to gain different perspectives. By staying vigilant and self-reflective, coaches can minimize pitfalls and biases, creating an inclusive and effective coaching environment.

I also like to be mindful of gaps in skills- sometimes that keeps the focus from strengths and allows for you to build up a client in areas that will accelerate their goals. This can be a very delicate conversation, but one worth having. Allow them to weigh in on areas of need, but be sure to offer your opinion as well. Usually a balance can be found.

Adapting to changes and transitions in a coachee's strengths and values is essential as individuals evolve and navigate different phases of life. Here are some strategies to support coachees in adapting to these changes: -> Foster Reflection -> Encourage Open Dialogue -> Validate Growth and Change -> Reassess Strengths and Values -> Identify Opportunities for Growth -> Promote Continuous Development Change is a natural part of life, and individuals' strengths and values may shift as they grow and encounter new experiences. By promoting self-reflection, open dialogue, and flexibility, you can support coachees in adapting to changes and transitions.

As an executive coach, adaptability is key. Being cognizant of shifts in my coachees' strengths and values requires a need to tailor strategies. Regular re-assessments and goal reviews ensure alignment with evolving strengths and values. Supporting coachees through challenges from conflicting strengths and values and encouraging experimentation fosters growth and resilience that is crucial for personal and professional evolution.

Coaches must adapt to changes and transitions to remain relevant, effective, and responsive. It demonstrates flexibility, supports clients through uncertainty, and fosters growth. Adapting allows for incorporating new tools and perspectives, enhancing skills, and ensuring long-term success in a dynamic coaching profession. By embracing change, coaches stay current, deepen their impact, and build trust with clients. Adapting enables them to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and provide tailored support. It fosters resilience, continuous learning, and the ability to meet evolving client needs in a rapidly changing world.

Having a firm foundation in change management and periodic reassessment of goals is critical. Being honest about what is serving the client well, and what isn’t will play into whether you should continue on the same path or outline new strategies to help them accomplish their goals.

Developing awareness of and living by one’s Values is forever work in progress. As you gain understanding of your Values, it is important to regularly review and reflect on them with every decision you make, and constantly align them with your current life and future goals. And as you become more and more aware of your core Values, the life decisions, big or small, become simple choices to make, and the north-star shines on!

I try not to get too far into fixed lists of strengths or values. Strengths are contextual - something that's helpful in one situation can be a hindrance in another. Values can and do evolve over time. So I focus on helping people pay attention to a specific situation they want to impact, explore how they are approaching it now and why; what's working, what's not, and what else might be possible. That allows them flexibility to choose what matters to them and how to tackle it, without being constrained by past experiences or labels.

When working with a coaching client, I always look to build on strengths. Much of the focus of our work is building on strengths, rather than focusing on weaknesses. I find this approach allows my clients to be more fully engaged. My client knows they're good at something, but also knows they can be better, which is why they're able to rapidly achieve the objectives we've agreed upon when we begin our work together.