Which is best? A structured appointment with an agenda and plan OR be fluid and follow the “intuitive” flow in a coaching appointment?

In my live seminars over the last 19 years this question has come up time and time again.  When you have 100’s of people in a class and they have a difference of opinion it sure brings up a wild discussion of which is better.

I really don’t know why there is such a push to find, “what is better”.  Maybe it’s the nature of the beast to want to do the right thing or to not make a mistake.  

Let’s talk about the Pro’s and Con’s of both, structured appointments and intuitive sessions.

My goal here is to help you settle this in your mind so you can focus on setting and holding appointments and feel confident that you are doing the “right thing”.  If anyone goes to challenge you, you can confidently stand there and not get shaken by someone else who has come to grip with this yet.

STRUCTURED APPOINTMENTS

Why is this an awesome format?

1. You know the plan.

2. You know your next step

3. You can practice a system and get better at it each time you go through it.

4. Your clients learn a predictable pattern and that creates safety, clarity and trust.

5. You can find out where your missing a skill and hone in on that one area and improve it.

6. You can explain your coaching program to another person with zero hesitation because it’s a clear path.

7. Your clients can tell their friend how you operate, they can refer people to you because they know how you will take care of them.  Eliminates hesitation or concern.

8. You are now duplicatable.  You can hire other coaches and teach them your system.  You can expand your reach and build a team to serve a larger population.

9. You can focus more on the client because the system is so ingrained.  This supports your ability to solve deeper or more complex problems.

Where’s the weakness in this process?

1. Can seem like the coaching process is scripted.

2. May lack some attention on clients who need custom coaching.

3. You may unconsciously block intuition that is coming to you because your rule is to follow the system.

4. Your system may be too fast….too slow…and the client can feel it.

5. Could feel like a cookie cutter program…and you could miss a type of client that is a step up from what you are offering.

6. You might get into too deep of a rut and can’t get out and innovate your program.

7. You could miss out on ways to improve your program because the new idea might throw the whole system off.

8. You could miss out on learning a deeper side of your client because your system didn’t allow for discovery time or connection time.

INTUITIVE SESSIONS

Why is it great to be in the flow?

• Intuition gives you the freedom to search all of the areas of your clients life.  

• This is a discovery….with a discovery…with more discovery…this goes deep.

• When the conversation changes direction, you can change direction, there is room to go with the flow.

• Customized coaching, clients enjoy the individual attention.

• Attention is fully on them and every skill or technique is built to match them.

• You control the speed and the direction and match it to the client.

• Intuitive sessions stand out and stand alone. No 2 sessions are the same.

• Creates high levels of variety and creativity, conversations are spontaneous.

• The client can bring up any topic, any problem and discussion they want to have.

What does this lack?

• Difficult to tell a friend what will happen in the session.

• Tough to explain how you are making progress.

• Can be challenging to repeat what happened in the session in case you need to do it again or apply the process again.

• Can make the client more dependable on you because they need your intuition to make more progress.

• Could feel like you are making progress but you can’t say what it was that did it or quantify it or even show the steps that got you where you are at.

• Clients could feel like the session went too deep, more than necessary, and they were not ready for that discussion.

• Clients could also feel too vulnerable with an all searching eye of intuition and that can cause them to close up.

• Makes sense in the moment…but later the next day, the ah-ha fades and the enlightenment can dissolve and the client doesn't know how to get back to that space by themselves.

Both are great ways to coach.

Which is better?

Maybe they both are?

May I suggest a Hybrid?

Hybrid?…Some of both

A structure program that leaves room for the flow of intuition.

I started coaching 19 years ago.

I was a full on intuitive coach.  No structure, no plan, no steps, no diagrams, nothing.

I listened…we talked…I found the core problem…we solved it…your life changed.

I loved it.  Super easy coaching for me.

Until my price point started to raise.

When my coaching program was below $5,000 for 10 appointments…Intuitive coaching was easily accepted.  When my same program started going for 7,500 and 10,000….18,000…+ my clients started asking about what my program included…how did it work…what could they expect…I had nothing.  

Hmmm…..I guess I need some structure.

So I started building it.  

That was odd and different.

Felt like I was ruining my intuition.

But I did it, I found the structure that supported my intuitive process.

It worked!

Crazy part was, having a structure actually improved my intuitive gift.

That was cool.

It’s the Hybrid that is better.

I suggest you learn and use both - structure and intuition.

Sooner or later you will need it.

Just because it feels awkward to learn the other side of the hybrid…doesn’t mean that it’s bad…it’s just awkward.  Like anything, get into, figure it out…and use it…you will be a better coach because you did.

Here’s a webinar that I have did that can boost your coaching skills…

Here is another one that is packed with coach training!

Quote of the week:

Song of the week:

Love this song! Reminds me when I first stepped out into the big world to own and run my own business! LOVE IT!

- Kirk