How Coaches use their Intuition to Strengthen the Coaching Process
The coaches were asked to answer three questions in order to gain information on how they use their intuition to strengthen the coaching process. First was the question about the role of the intuition in their coaching. One of them said the role of his intuition was to be his “co-coach”. Most of them described the role of the intuition as the role of a guide, navigator or an informer that helps them to “connect more empathetically”, “listen and be present without judgment” and “to be a source of support and understanding for the client”.
One of the coaches described the role of intuition as “one of compassion, empathy and connection”. Another spoke about the role of intuition being the force that moves the conversation, so that the coach can hear what lies beneath the surface of what the client is saying. The things he himself is maybe not even aware of, so that they can rise to the surface and be dealt with in the matter that best serves the client.
The second question was how using their intuition strengthens the coaching process. One of the coaches described intuition as the foundation for the strength of the process. “Coaching […] is rooted in intuition. When I listen to my intuition, I am […] going in the right direction […]. It makes the interaction authentic and wholehearted”.
Another coach said he believed intuition strengthens the coaching process because intuition comes from a deep place. He said he believes that real, beneficial coaching that delivers lasting results is achieved when a coach helps a client to go deep inside.
Another coach claimed that intuition strengthens the coaching process because of the willingness of the coach to be open to something bigger than him self – to something more than even he can see. In allowing his intuition to lead his coaching he is allowing his higher self, which he believes knows more than him, to give guidance in the direction that best serves the client.
It makes the process faster, said another coach. The intuition does not seem to take any detours, but gets straight to the point, even when it does not seem rational at first.
Another answer was that using intuition makes the coach align more to the client’s way of thinking and hence, the coach is able to understand what obstacles to work on to move the client ahead.
The renowned novelist, Jane Austen said that we all have a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be. In a feature article on intuition and coaching, published in Choice Magazine, Laura Berman Fortgang MCC brings that same point to the coaching scene by saying that coaches are the voice of their client’s intuition.
One of the coaches identified the use of intuition to strengthen the coaching process as being exactly that. Getting the client to connect with his intuition in order for him to understand when his intuition is indeed sending him messages. He said the most important role of the coach is to help the client receive the messages that the client’s intuition is sending him in a given situation. He points out that at the end of the day, coaching is about the answers that the client himself holds and if the client connects to his intuition it can play a vital role in getting to the core of those answers.