As a coach you can help your client bring awareness to her/him self by asking them to be attentive to the way he/she talk to her/him self, to consciously stop their Gremlin. Also ask your ask client to be aware of how they present themselves in every area of their lives. How your client presents him self at work, with his partner, or even on the phone. Does he carry him self confidently, or is he slouching maybe? Even body image and body language have an effect on confidence. Ask your client if she is consciously or unconsciously putting her self down or harshly judging her self.
Below are some exercises that a coach can utilize with the client to help make a shift:
- Advantages and disadvantages of change. In this case ask your client to put advantages for being in a place of fear and the disadvantages. Then ask your client to do the same thing again but this time for confidence. Now ask your client to assess the two lists, and realize how this shift will work for him/her.
- Ask your client where will he/she be without this fear? What can he/she achieve if this fear was completely eliminated?
- As a coach you can ask your client to draw a table to list their achievement, skill, quality and/or strengths. On the opposite side ask your client to list ways that these qualities have been evidenced. This will help your client reaffirm their strengths and also bring about confidence in their abilities and increase their motivation.
Reflection
References:
Carson, Rick, 2003. Taming Your Gremlin. Harper Collins, U.S.A