notes below

Original class announcement

• How do you coach differently if one single session is all you've got?
• How can coaching be brief and yet provide lasting solutions for your client?
• How can you apply brief coaching principles also in long term coaching contracts?

The teleclass will include a coaching demo by Peter followed by reflection of your observations and discussion of your questions.

The Brief Coaching model suggest one very distinct change of paradigm:
It is centred around directing clients attention towards moments that work the way they want rather than overcoming blocks that hinder them. It supports clients in finding out what works and in doing more of it, which is often faster and produces more lasting results than learning something totally new. As Sir John Whitmore describes it is about "Helping the clients to get where they want to be this week or this month rather than just this year."

The speakers

Notes by Peter Szabo

See also the recording of the original call and the recording of the second call (links on top of this page)

Here's a little report for all those who missed the follow-up call. Of course I am interested to hear your comments and ideas. I am very happy how it went and I am so grateful for all your useful questions and observations on what might make the difference in brief coaching being so brief.

1. Structure of the follow-up interview:
   • Of all the things that happened in the meantime: what has been better? What else? What else?
   • How did you manage to do that? What was your contribution for the improvements? What did you do differently than before?
   • Where are you now on your scale?
   • How can you maintain all these improvements? What could be helpful so you can do more of what worked in the last 3 weeks?
2. Some statements from Diane (client):
   • ... I have moved a lot further foreward these last three weeks than I would have expected...
     (although things are not yet where they need to be of course)
   • ... I found it easier to focus on the tasks and keep making progress actually happen ... (examples),
   • ....I am just having a more relaxed approach and allowing things to flow ...
   • ... the "try harder"- free week worked in the sense that I just started doing things when I was ready for them
   • ... I am happier with what I have accomplished, I do appreciate what I have made possible and I am at ease with just having made beginnings... (examples)
   • ... I have moved up to a 6 on my "ability to get things done"-scale (from maybe 3 or 4 beforehand), and I am proud of the effortlessness
3. Discussion and questions from the audience
   • the outcome is a surprise to most participants, all were rather skeptical after the first session
   • what do you do, when things have become worse? (aknowledge the difficulty, ask coping questions and ask about small differences that made difference towards less worse)
   • how do you explain how "it worked"?
     Some 30 years into the existence of the solutions-focused approach and with some over 15 years of personal experience in brief coaching I still do not know how "it works".
     This week I have heard an interesting brain pysiological explanation (from "The Bleep") saying the more you talk about something (like problems) the broader and more acessable those links in the brain get. On the other hand by spending an entire 30 min. just asking about the details of the wanted outcome, first small signs of things that already worked a little, and detailed effects of the future solution, apparantly those links in the brain become broader and more easily usable.
4. Further information on Brief Coaching
• Several papers are now available for download at our new website:
  • Introduction to Brief Coaching
  • solutions-focused scaling questions for coaches/managers
• 2 new phone conferences have been set up:
  • Wednesday June 21st at 5.30pm UK time: another live coaching session
  • Thursday June 29th at 4pm UK time: answering questions about the Brief
    Coach Training
• To sign up send an e-mail to: peter.szabo@solutionsurfers.com
• New: 9 day Brief Coach Training in Switzerland, October 06 through February 07
  See www.solutionsurfers.com

Future Masterclasses