Imagine that you are going to meet a person who would like your help. One of the most common approaches is to go through the following steps.
You Can Create A Positive Environment
And Clarify The Person’s Goals
You may begin by creating a positive environment and making the person feel welcome. You may then aim:
To invite the person to describe the topics they would like to explore in the session;
To, if appropriate, invite them to describe their longer-term personal or professional goals – this can help in terms of seeing the big picture;
To focus on the first topic they would like to explore and clarify the real results they want to achieve – their picture of success.
Imagine that you have taken these steps. It may then be time to move on to the next stage.
You Can Clarify The
Person’s Present Situation
Bearing in mind the topic they want to explore, it can be useful to understand their present situation. When doing so, you may want:
To clarify what is actually happening at the moment in this aspect of their life or work;
To clarify what the person is doing to deal with the situation and the consequences of their actions;
To begin thinking of ways you can help the person to deal with the present situation whilst also working towards their longer-term goals.
Imagine that you have taken these steps. It may then be time to move on to the next stage.
You Can Clarify The Person’s
Possible Ways Forwards
At this point you may want to refocus on: a) the topic the person is exploring; b) the specific things they can control; c) the real results they want to achieve in both the short and longer-term.
You may then want to explore the possible ways forward. If appropriate, you may say something along the following lines.
“Looking at the topic we are exploring, as far as I understand it the real results you want to achieve are:
“To …
“To …
“To …
“Is that right? Are there any other things you would like to achieve?
“Bearing in mind what we have discussed, some of the possible options going forwards are the following:
“Option A Is: To …
“Option B Is: To …
“Option C is: To …
“There are, of course, pluses and minuses to each option.”
Imagine that you and the person have explored these options. If appropriate, you may then say something like the following to the person.
“If you wish, there are some other ideas it may be worth considering. Is it okay to share some of these possibilities?”
The person will probably say “Yes,” but it is vital to make this psychological contract. You can then share other possible ways forward and practical tools that the person can use to achieve their goals. It can be useful to do this in a way that resonates with the person and their situation.
Imagine you have taken these steps. It may then be time to move on to the next stage.
You Can Do Your Best Help The Person To
Achieve Their Goals And Shape A Positive Future
At this point it may be useful to give the person time to reflect. When appropriate, you can then help them:
To clarify their chosen option for working towards their picture of success;
To clarify the key strategies they can follow to give themselves the greatest chance of success;
To clarify how they can translate these into action and do their best to achieve their picture of success.
Imagine that the person has worked through these steps when focusing on the first topic they wanted to explore. If appropriate, you can then say something like the following.
“Let’s return to your agenda. We have looked at the first topic and you have come up with an action plan. Would you like to move on to the next topic?”
You can then move through the person’s agenda. If appropriate, keep going until they feel their chosen topics have been covered. Taking this approach can help the person:
To focus on their chosen topics;
To pursue strategies that help them to achieve their goals;
To continue to shape a positive future.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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