What is a Compass Coaching Mindset?
A Compass Coaching Mindset is a compelling set of perspectives, beliefs, or ways of thinking that can underpin what it means to be able to get the most out of a coaching process.
Sharing these mindsets with your clients will also have a direct impact on how they understand the coaching process and give them the opportunity to show up to each individual coaching session in the most effective frame of mind.
As a coach, it can support you in setting a solid foundation for your coaching and enable you to do your best work.
Why set a frame for coaching? – The Client
- It sets up the ‘rules of engagement’ around how the effective coaching processes work.
- It develops co-responsibility to make sure coach and client are travelling the same terrain.
- It gives the client a structure for them to know how to be most resourceful in the coaching process.
- It lets the client know where and how they can tap into and use their strengths and resources.
- It opens the landscape for the client as to what is possible.
- It widens the client’s their perspective, giving them more things to see.
- Gives direction as to how they are going to be thinking.
- For a strategy to be implemented, the values, beliefs and mindsets need to be foundational.
Why set a frame for coaching? – The Coach
- The coach can be an example by modelling these mindsets for the client
- It helps to clarify what needs to be in place for you as a coach to do your best work
- It allows the coach to attract the kind of clients that they are going to be most effective with
- It enables the coach to be authentic and congruent to what is important to them in their work as a coach
Why the Compass?
- The compass sits effectively within the metaphor of coaching as a journey or process of learning and change.
- The concept of the compass gives this journey a sense of purpose and a sense of direction.
- When we talk about our purpose we can think of Your True North – Compass!
- It’s not the destination, it’s about the direction you are going – destination can change and evolve based on where you are – reference point – True North!
- In whatever context we want to consider, when we get lost, it’s important to re-calibrate. We can use the compass to do that. Having the the compass gives you calibration skills, cognitive agility, behavioural flexibility etc.
- It’s the foundation for the Compass Coaching Model, a model based around and framed with an easily memorable concept and metaphor not just an acronym
What mindsets should I choose?
The mindsets for that you can share with your clients that can help and support them to make the most out of a coaching process is very much up to each individual coach depending on their beliefs and values around coaching, learning and change.
My suggestion would be for you as a coach to spend some time reflecting on these questions as well as considering what needs to be in place for you to be able to do your best work with your clients.
An important starting point for me would be to encourage my clients to come to the coaching process with a Growth Mindset. You can read about a Growth Mindset in coaching here.
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