Life/Professional Coaching with Greg Porter

Nowadays, zoom coaching is more of a thing. It's surprising given how things have been the past year and a half. That being said, internet connections become more of an issue. I'm sure many of you have experienced a work meeting where you're struggling to keep an internet connection. It's such a bothersome moment where someone is in the middle of speaking and one of you freezes. They stop talking, and you both have to check in to say, "Alright, it's good now." It feels very much like medieval medicine: the network's humors were slightly off just then but now because it has clean air, more sun, and leeches, it is good, you may restate what you just said. In terms of coaching (specifically the coach's perspective), what does one do if there is a bit of lag or if the audio cuts out? There are some options. If you ask the client to repeat, that would kinda derail their flow. Instead, you could try asking a question like "Tell me more." or ...

Let's talk about active listening. First off, what is it? It's a way of describing how one can/should participate in a conversation. If you were merely listening, you're just passively consuming information. Actively listening, however, emphasizes that it is not passive; you've got to do stuff. Quickly googling for tips yields some solid results. Joseph Topornycky and Shaya Golparian, in their paper , describe five key techniques of active listening (with some examples): Paying attention (maintain eye contact) Showing that you are listening (nodding)  Providing feedback (paraphrasing and providing reflections) Deferring judgment (letting the speaker finish before you respond) Responding appropriately (respond in a way that the speaker would want to be treated) Let's look at this with coaching in mind.  The coach should have the ability to focus on both what the client says and what they don't say; it's listening to the whole person. The coach should check to...

Coaching Presence is all about the dynamic the coach brings to the coaching session. But, before we get into the specifics of that, let's get into the client's shoes. You have a problem and you are going to talk to someone about it. Maybe you know that, in order to discuss the problem, you're going to have to be vulnerable. What type of person do you want for a coach? Perhaps, first things first, you'll want someone you can talk with  rather than to . You want them to be fully present and invested in the conversation.  Have you ever been to a doctor's office where the doctor comes in and asks a bunch of questions without asking you what's up? On one hand, sure, maybe the doctor knows lots of stuff but it doesn't feel particularly good. Heck, if a doctor asks me what's wrong, I'll spill everything, most of which, I'm sure is vague and useless but it feels good to get it out there! Now, in terms of the International Coaching Federation, they have s...

This looks at the whole relationship, not just a specific conversation. According to the ICF site, this competency is defined as: It is extremely important for a client to be honest and open to reap the full benefits of the coaching process. To achieve this a coaching relationship must be built on mutual respect and trust. The site goes on to say that it used to be called Trust and Intimacy but "intimacy" had too many definitions and cultural implications so they switched to "safety". The idea though is that the coach holds a space and has a presence where the client feels comfortable to share freely. This makes sense to me. As a coach, I'm trying to get the client to open up and explore. That exploration can sometimes take a client to a place of vulnerability. It's important to get there but it's only possible (and ethical) if they feel safe to do so. Another quality of this is the positionality of the client. The coach must acknowledge and honor the cl...

In terms of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), ethics and standards really come into play if you are doing things that you aren't supposed to be doing.  A couple examples would be: Failing to maintain the confidentiality of the coaching relationship     -  If you bring up another client or talking about how you will share parts of that coaching session Saying something that is offensive to the client     -It seems obvious but you've got to be aware of where the client is coming from. It's a relationship after all; how can you expect to have a regular conversation let alone one where you are both vulnerable if you insult them. Consulting     -Coaching is about the client, not the coach. The client has all the needed skills and materials to do what they need to do. If you are consulting, you are telling the client what they need to do. But, really, you probably don't know what they need to do. You can't know the totality of the situation s...

 Hello, my name is Gregory Porter and I am a coach. Life and Professional. Coaching begins with the belief that you are whole. You are strong, capable, and able to take the next step to your goal. But what, exactly, is that goal? Is it a promotion? Is it an insight into what you truly want out of life?  It might take a little digging but, together, we can uncover that answer. Now, the goal is this blog, initially, is to share what I'm learning in my journey in coaching; maybe you'll find it helpful if you are an aspiring coach. It might also be helpful if you are in search of coaching. I'll discuss types of questions coaches ask which you could ask yourself.   If you have any specific comments or questions, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you!  Until next time! Take care, be safe, be good, you got this!