The Power of Vision in Coaching: How to Create Your Own and Help Your Clients with Theirs

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 30th, 2010

Having a strong, clear vision is the cornerstone of coaching success ? both for coaches and their clients. A great coach must not only have a strong vision of their own; they must also be able to help their client or ?PBC? (Person Being Coached) developing theirs.

The best visions are clear, useful, achievable and inseparable from who and what you (or your clients) are. As a coach, if you can master the skill of helping to create clear and authentic visions in yourself and others, you?ll be light years ahead of your competition. . It helps both you and your clients with the foundation upon which they can build a successful and satisfying life ? both personally and professionally.

FIRST, WORK ON YOUR OWN VISION

Without a clear vision of what you want to do, where you want to go, or what you, success will be much more difficult ? even impossible ? to achieve.. How can you know what to do ? what actions to take - if you don?t know where you?re going?

Not having a vision is like sailing without a destination. You end up on the Sea of Destiny without a port, wandering the ocean aimlessly, getting blown in whatever direction the wind is headed. When a challenging storm bears down, the gale-force winds will likely capsize your latest plans immediately. You?ll end up looking like you were aboard the Ship of Fools.

Having a clear vision and mission is what gives you that destination. Even though gale-force challenges may temporarily capsize your progress, you?ll more easily be able to get back on course and reach your objectives.

Contrary to what many people think, visions do not usually magically appear. They can take time - requiring introspection, self-analysis, and journaling. It also helps to review your past successes and ? just as important ? your past disappointments and failures. Draw on your dream, talents and desire. Observe your calling to be a coach.

The first place to look when developing your vision is within ? to that deeper inner self. You can draw upon your talent, dreams and desires, or whatever other avenues help you uncover those nuggets that will become your navigational beacons in life.

Unfortunately, there are usually no shortcuts in creating your vision. You can?t just ?make it up?; it takes WORK. But the rewards for doing this work can save you years ? even a lifetime ? of frustration by enabling you and your clients to live the life one is destined for.

SEVEN IDEAS TO HELP DEVELOP YOUR VISION

Idea 1: Listen and Look Within

Since vision starts within, it makes sense to listen and feel what your mind and soul really want. What stirs your heart? What is your greatest desire? What do you dream about?
Bottom line: Make sure your vision comes from within. If what you want to pursue does not truly come your inner depths, it will likely be impossible to achieve.

Idea 2: Seek the Help of Others; Make It a Team Sport
We do not live in a bubble. Utilize a team where you can. Heed the advice of a person who has more experiences in you ? especially in coaching. Find a coach who works on vision. Seek help from friends who know you well. They can help you confirm or question your own observations and provide a reality check.

Creating a MasterMind Group of 4-6 people also working on their vision can be extremely powerful. Use weekly or semi-weekly calls to support each other and keep the momentum going.

Asking and using others for guidance not only helps you with your own vision; it also puts you on the receiving end of help. This experience will in turn help you when you become the coach helping others with their vision. You?ll have done the proverbial ?walk in their shoes?.

Idea #2: Create a Sacred, Inner Space to Go Deeper

The vision you create for your practice begins in your mind and heart. It is something you can feel, taste, see, hear and touch with your soul.

Creating a supportive, inner environment is a powerful way to aid you in developing your vision. To access the inner depths of your mind and heart, find a way to retreat to a serene and tranquil place where your mind is free of the ?outer noise?.

In this sacred space, your heart, mind, and soul can more easily access what might be called Source. What you can find there is your most Authentic Self. Tap into this successfully, and your vision is likely to spring forth easily.

Though your mind may resist with every fiber of its being, try surrender into this emptiness. Check your brain out at the door. A Zen master once said, ?You already are that which you seek.? But you?ll find it much easier to uncover that if you are relaxed and can get your mind out of the way.

Step 3: Ask (the Right) Questions

Ask the questions that provoke and encourage answers to the deeper questions. These might include:

?What is the single most important thing my practice needs to go to the next level and further help my customers best?
?What are the three most important actions I need to take in order to increase my sales or income?
?What are the three most important changes I need to make in order to help me and/or my clients accomplish my/their objectives?
?What is the single biggest challenge that ? if resolved ? would most help me or my clients.

Idea 5: Identity the Problems Holding You Back

Sometimes we?re just plain stuck. What about you? Where are your points of ?stuck-ed-ness?? Discussing it with others ? especially your coach and MasterMind team ? is a powerful way to uncover the detours around or through the roadblocks holding you back from developing your vision.

There are times when we must first clear the rocks off the trail before we can continue on our path of self-discovery. Moving these out of the way helps unblock the energy flow, enabling us to more easily tap into the Source for answers.

Idea 7: Take Action and ?Go For It!?

Nothing happens without action. Once you have come up with a Vision that seems to fit well, ACT ON IT. It might not be perfect, but if it?s ?good enough?, then get going! You can always ?course correct?.

Don?t get bogged down in thinking about HOW you?re going to get there. Momentum is a powerful force, perhaps THE most important force when you?re first embarking for your Vision.

A sailor on a long voyage can never know for sure the exact course they will take to their destination. He/she will need to constantly make corrections for winds, current, and unforeseen challenges along the route. In the same way, you can tweak and adapt your own journey.

Idea 6: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Short & Simple)

Once you have a pretty good idea of your vision, simplify it. Keep honing it down and find ways to bring more clarity. Be brutal; in fact go for what is sometimes call ?brutal clarity of purpose?.

There is a nice analogy between a vision and a powerful photo. A very successful studio photographer was asked how he consistently came up with powerful photos. He responded, ?Once I?ve got all the elements in the photo that I think I need, I start taking away from it. If I remove or simplify an element or item and it helps, I keep the change. I continue this process with everything I can until it hurts the overall image. That?s when I know I?ve got my image.?

The lesson: try simplifying or removing extraneous parts of your vision. Ask yourself, ?Does it help ? or hinder? If it helps, keep the change. If it doesn?t, put it back. Continue with this process until you have the best picture you can.

CONCLUSION
Developing a Vision and acting on it is one of the most essential steps to creating a successful coaching practice. It is also one of the most powerful services you can offer your clients in helping them manifest their fullest potential.

Try these 7 ideas to help you do this. If something works for you, use it! If it doesn?t, discard it. We all have our own best ways of finding and developing our Vision. What matters most is that you do it, then act on it.