Ten top tips for being a mindful coach
When I first started practicing as a coach five years ago, I already had an established mindfulness practice but it took some time before I felt I could emerge from the closet. Other “secret meditators” shared how they too were reticent about discussing their practice with clients.
Times have changed, and we’re currently witnessing something of a mindfulness revolution. Mindfulness is widely viewed as an approach suitable and adaptable within a wide range of secular settings, including education, healthcare, the workplace, even politics- and more recently, coaching.
There hasn’t been a great deal of research yet on mindfulness in coaching, although plenty in other arenas with implications for coaching. We know, for example, that mindfulness helps us be more emotionally intelligent, more present, more creative, better able to make better decisions, better able to manage stress, and become more resilient.
One coaching study (Spence et al, 2010) found that mindfulness training combined with solution-focused coaching helped clients attain their health goals.
My own research, which included an online survey among 156 coaches from regions including the US and the UK, revealed the top reasons why coaches practice mindfulness: to help them live more in the moment (74%), be more self-aware (73%), manage/prevent stress (67%), and be more present for their clients (65%). And the main reasons they use mindfulness explicitly with clients: to help the clients become more self-aware (70%), be calmer/less anxious (59%), better manage stress/be more centered (55%) and better manage reactions/responses (51%).
So there are plenty of reasons to be “mindful coaches.” What does this involve? Here follow my top tips:
1. Undergo the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy program. Research shows just practising mindfulness for eight weeks literally rewires our brains.
2. Practice mindfulness (including meditation) regularly (preferably daily).
3. Take a systemic approach to coaching, “being mindful” of the wider systems in which you and your clients operate.
4. Approach coaching (and life in general) with non-judgment; open-ness; curiosity, and compassion.
5. Prepare mindfully for each coaching session- this can take as little as a few minutes. For example, walk mindfully to your coaching session, or sit in the park and pay attention to your breath for a few minutes.
6. Share mindfulness practices within coaching sessions and as “homework” where useful and appropriate for the client. You don’t have to call them mindfulness- you can call them Centering practices, or talk about exercises that help us become more resourceful and creative, more emotionally intelligent, more able to be resilient and manage stress- the research backs all of this up. You might, for example, suggest both of you do a “breathing practice” when the client first arrives to help you be more resourceful and present.
7. Attend (not solely) to the present in all coaching interactions (thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, happenings- both on your part and on the part of your client). Be curious about everything that arises, turning towards the “difficult” as well as the ‘easy.’
8. Don’t be overly-attached to outcome, for yourself or your clients. It can be incredibly powerful, particularly for leaders, to sit with not-knowing, to be open to whatever emerges in a non-judgmental, curious, compassionate way.
9. Be compassionate to yourself and your clients. Practicing mindfulness helps us develop compassion, which I believe is a central component of coaching. It can be incredibly hard to be self-compassionate, but well worth the effort.
10. Have fun! In the West, we often take things far too seriously and can learn a great deal from Eastern teachings. Yes, mindfulness helps us manage stress, be more creative, improves our cognitive functioning and thus our “performance” but ultimately, for me, mindfulness is about bringing joy back into our lives and those of our clients.
Liz Hall
Liz Hall is a Senior Practitioner coach, the author of Mindful Coaching (Kogan Page, 2013), the editor of Coaching at Work, and runs Mindful Coaching programs for coaches and leaders in organizations including the BBC, Royal College of Nursing, the National Health Service. Learn more at www.lizhallcoaching.com, www.mindfulcoaches.org, www.coaching-at-work.com.
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You’re right – in the West we tend to focus too much on outcomes. Being mindful can lead to many “aha” moments and it helps with laying an intentional foundation. Thanks, Suzanne
Liz, I really relate to tip #8. It is so easy to get focused entirely on the outcome. We sometimes feel rushed to help our clients reach their goals, we cram too much on our to-do lists, and hurry to get much done as quickly as possible. But, you are right. When we combine mindfulness with solution-focused coaching it is a win-win.
excelelnt
LOVING these tips, Liz! Thank you!!
#8 and #10 particularly stick out to me. Letting go of the outcome is HUGE and something I am really working on. And having fun in coaching is so important. I’m a new coach and I’ve found when things are more lighthearted and FUN, things just seem to flow in a phenomenal way.
Liz good post on Mindfulness. I love tips 8 and 9 as reminders of how mindfulness can and does work.
I love this list, especially #7 and #8. It’s so hard to sit with not-knowing when it’s about a client paying me to help them, but when I bring that open, non-judgmental curiosity to the unknown, so much more is revealed. I can only do that with practice. And I’ve had good experiences when I pay attention to what’s happening for my client and myself in the session and speak up about what I’m observing. It can be hard to do, but it’s incredibly powerful.
I’m just beginning a mindful coaching practice. For my first client I’m unsure what to charge them, whether I should give them an hourly fee or first consult with them about their goals and determine how many sessions it may take.. I’m certified in a mindfulness program and work as a coach for an organization but have no other coaching certifications. so I want to focus on mindfulness meditation, where my true expertise is. I’m wary of it getting into a life coaching area.
Thank you!
Awesome, Thank You For Sharing
Good one. Thanks for sharing your informative knowledge.
Lastly, mindfulness reminds us to not solely show compassion for our youngsters however to
all human beings.
[…] Ten top tips for being a mindful coach ‹ http … – When I first started practicing as a coach five years ago, I already had an established mindfulness practice but it took some time before I felt I could emerge from … […]
Hi Liz,
Being mindful and present is key to all my coaching interactions. By demonstrating the way to connect with attention and curiosity you set a great example for how the coaching alliance can grow. Being mindful and present becomes a daily, immerive process adding value and depth to every interaction – not just coaching.
Thanks
Bren Murphy
Personal Coaching
[…] Ten top tips for being a mindful coach ‹ http … – You’re right – in the West we tend to focus too much on outcomes. Being mindful can lead to many “aha” moments and it helps with laying an intentional foundation. […]
Thank you for sharing. I went to a Mindfulness training and it’s being wonderful to incorporate that into both my life and work. Regarding to tip #6 – you’re so right! For every client I choose a different approach. I try to put my attention to our connetction to keep me more aware of what works best for them (and for myself) to create openess to the practice. Amazingly it works both ways!
Thanks for sharing Liz
I see a great opportunity for coaches to use Mindfulness in their practice. Both for use with clients, as well as for us as coaches to simply become more aware of our being vs doing modes. Being more present with the client and what is coming up for the client.
great site! welldone!
thank you for posting it
Hello,
These are great tips! I’ve been researching mindfulness trainings/mindful coaching trainings. Can anyone recommend theirs?
Thank you!
Hi Liz
Many thanks for the posting
Some great tips to focus my conversations and behaviours with clients.
Warmest thanks
Alan
Good one. Thanks for sharing your informative knowledge.
It helped when you said that to live in the moment is the practice of mindfulness. The other day, my best friend informed me that he wants to pursue his career being a meditation teacher to help others struggling with different personal issues, and he asked me if I had any idea what would be the best option to start learning about meditation. I’m glad for this enlightening article, I’ll tell him that it will be much better if he consults a well-known meditation training course as they can provide more information about the process.