How can you help clients find direction during a transition?

When you visit a mall and look at the map, it will usually say "you are here." That's your client's starting point and it's just as important in a career transition or transformation to assess the situation and yourself. Consider using a personality and values assessment with your client to help them gain clarity about what motivates them, what their preferences are and what they care about. The Hogan Personality Inventory is an excellent tool for career coaching because it sheds light on how we're perceived by others, what our style under stress looks like, what's important to us and what we detest. Assessments also give us language to describe ourselves in job interviews and our work style. Confidently articulating strengths is key.

Silence speaks volumes. True empathy means staying quiet, absorbing the client's story, and expressing genuine understanding. This builds trust, affirming that the coach is a committed partner in navigating this transition together.

There is a common thing that I found in many clients I coached, which is sometimes they have a dominant thought about themselves which is most of the time a limiting belief. As a career coach, I help them surpass this belief by practice, assess the current situation, follow the career exploration journey for the transition, decide on an action plan, and follow up on results with continuous feedback and reward.

One of the biggest and most important steps in making a transition is fully understanding where you are starting from. A less spoken about reason for this is that it gives opportunity to look at what is working. What is happening that is positive, that you want more of, that you don’t want to lose with a transition. We as humans have a tendency towards generalisation: ‘It’s always…’, ‘I never…’ . Spending some time really looking realistically at your current situation, good and bad, helps to correct these generalisations and puts you in a much better place to start making big decisions around transition. Once you’ve done this, you can more effectively clarify your end goals of transition and steps to get there.

Figuring out the overall goal and outcome is key. Trying to understand what the client truly struggles with truthfully. Unveiling the truth is 90 percent progress.

To promote self-reflection, I guide clients to explore their strengths, skills, passions, and past successes. By encouraging this introspection, clients gain valuable insights into what they genuinely enjoy doing and where their unique talents lie. Together, we delve into their personal and professional history to uncover patterns of fulfillment and achievement. This process not only aids in identifying areas of interest but also serves as a foundation for making informed decisions during periods of transition. The goal is to empower clients with a deep understanding of themselves, allowing them to align their paths with their authentic passions and capabilities.

Some things that have helped me and my clients successfully navigate transitions: - Get a clear picture of where they are (in every area of their lives, not just the affected area, because everything is interconnected). - Explore how they feel right now and how they would like to feel on the other side of this - Explore their values, priorities, skills, passion, deepest desires (and also, the judgements, expectations, opinions they have of themselves or that they've taken on). - Create a picture of where they want to be at the end of this, how they want to feel, what they want to experience - Create the action steps and accountability systems to help them get there. - Teach them tools to move from unresourceful to resourceful states

Using the client's assessment of the situation and themself, probe deeper for peak experiences when the client felt empowered, in flow, or happy in order to help them remember their success stories, remind them of forgotten skills, forgotten accomplishments, forgotten jobs and forgotten connections. Reflecting on peak experiences can help a client who's stuck, feeling unworthy or pessimistic about the future. Taking all of the data together - the assessment, preferences and values, past accomplishments and peak experiences have the client look for the connective tissue, common themes, natural areas of interest and talent, and begin to brainstorm about plugging those into opportunities available in the current job market.

Asking clients to describe how they would handle potential outcomes can help them build self-confidence and resilience. Encouraging them to list the pros and cons of each option, even their favorites and least-favorites, helps them to gain a more objective perspective, and gives them a 360-degree view of the situation.

Assessing the current situation allows us to weigh the options, anticipate outcomes, allocate resources, and define an optimal execution plan. --Evaluate option: Weighing in the available options against the backdrop of the current state and desired end goal. --Anticipate outcomes: Anticipating potential outcomes based on the interplay between current conditions and the envisioned objectives. With the end goal, current state, and first draft of initial steps outlined, we leverage our proprietary Risk and Potential grid. This grid serves as a valuable tool for evaluating and categorizing various factors, providing a structured framework to assess risks and opportunities associated with the planned course of action.

Once the client has identified options to explore, help them co-create an action plan to achieve the outcome they want. Common action steps include re-activating their professional network, conducting informational meetings and updating networking skills. We re-engage with our network to find those hidden jobs that are never posted because they're filled through word-of-mouth. We do informational interviews to find out if we're really interested in roles before we take them or try them. And we update our networking skills because they always need it. No matter what. Look for industry networking events in order to meet more people, make connections and make introductions. Look for professional networking events to meet more peers.

Before creating an action plan, we need to get out of the way all the limiting beliefs, emotions and thoughts that have kept us stuck until now. When we can finally believe in ourselves and our ability to succeed, then taking steps forward feels fun, easy and exciting. Without removing these blocks, the plan will just be a list on a piece of paper that will likely never get actioned or done in such a limited way that success is lacking.

One thing that I have found helpful is road mapping. In my Career Strategies for Success Guidebook, I help the youth I coach to create a strong outline for their career goals and how to get there. It helps them to identify obstacles and potential obstacles along the way and provides them the opportunity to do the necessary research to create a strong plan of action. I would like to add that creating an action plan is both proactive and preventative, but I cannot stress enough to be open to possibilities of better opportunities when, and if they are presented. We never know what miracles life has in store for us.

Over 3000 years ago, Socrates, said “know thyself” I would venture to say it’s even more true today. When we’re not clear about who we are our values beliefs, biases, traits, etc. it’s very challenging to know where we should go, our direction. The clearer we are about who we are, the easier it is for us to shift and pivot. We are so programmed and trained to focus outside of ourselves, that we forget to focus on the inside. It is only once we focus on the inside that anxiety can subside, peace can reside, and joy can be ever present.

We consolidate all the moving parts into a cohesive strategy, formulating actionable steps to navigate from point A to point B. Milestone check-ins are essential to ensure that the transition stays on course, with the flexibility to apply corrections if deviations pop up. More often than not, clients often encounter unexpected insights and learnings. Maintaining an open mind during this process is crucial, resisting undue attachment to the original 'plan.’ This adaptability allows us to seize unforeseen opportunities and navigate unexpected challenges effectively. The ability to deviate from the plan when needed ensures a more responsive approach, optimizing the journey toward the desired outcome.

Support and accountability are where coaches help their clients shine. Encourage them to use metrics that can be measured. The S.M.A.R.T. model is good for goal setting. The action steps must be specific and measurable, so that you will know if it's been accomplished. They need to be achievable generally, and realistic for the client particularly. And goals must have a deadline or they may be put off. The clearer the goal, the better. Support your client by giving positive feedback on what they've accomplished. Recognition is a huge part of coaching and the client's efforts need to be acknowledged. See if rewards could be motivational and, if so, what would be meaningful? And have them acknowledge themselves for what they've achieved.

Embracing change and staying the course is like developing muscle memory. It requires consistent practice, repetition, timely reminders, and accountability. The integration of milestones at this stage is particularly beneficial. They serve as valuable checkpoints in this journey. They prompt questions: Are we staying on the intended course? Is there a need to recalibrate our path? How is the outcome evolving? Regularly asking these questions allows for a thorough assessment of the ongoing strategy. It ensures that adjustments, if needed, are made promptly, reinforcing the adaptive mindset essential for navigating the complexities of change.

Acting as an accountability partner can be a really useful way for clients to stay on track and keep up momentum. However, it is important to note here that acting as an accountability partner isn’t the same as passing the buck and it's not about adding extra pressure or guilt. Responsibility for implementing an action plan, or choosing not to, still lies with the client. And they need to make decisions and take action based on what they want and what feels right for them, not for others.

Navigating a transition can be challenging so the important thing is to recognise this challenging step. What sort of help is out there? Professional guidance, family and friends, peer support are good examples. Networking can help too, find people that have been through a similar transition. Perhaps other know people that have had similar challenges.

Clients often feel silly about celebrating wins and taking responsibility for their own success stories. Coaches can be the link that helps a client connect their efforts with the success achieved. Help clients normalize the concept of rewarding ourselves by raising it with them. Everyone likes rewards, but we don't always realize or admit it. But, if you think about it, we want credit card points, year end bonuses, prizes, trophies, medals and more. Even a high five is a reward for a job well done. The brain also recognizes the relationship between effort and reward. If we want to use everything in our arsenal to get the best results, let's consider rewarding ourselves and start by figuring out what a great reward would be for us.

Celebrating small victories as well as acknowledging setbacks are crucial steps in fostering accountability and providing support. Recognizing and celebrating small wins along the way not only boosts morale but also reinforces the value of progress over perfection. Equally Important is acknowledging setbacks. Instead of viewing them as obstacles, setbacks can be turned into opportunities for learning and improvement. : Both celebrations and acknowledgments contribute to a culture of accountability. By celebrating successes and addressing setbacks, the team not only takes responsibility for their actions but also builds a supportive environment that encourages continuous growth and improvement.

Clients are often so focussed on the end goal that they often feel it's all or nothing scenarios. In Personal Growth and Transformation, every shift accumulates to create a cumulative effect..a discerning Coach is able to highlight it and Amplify it's way into the outcomes they aspire to reach. Letting the clients notice these small changes and savor rewards has to be done enough times future paces them and creates identity shifts. Those who celebrate are easily able to show up in better ways- big action, bolder selves as compared to those who do not internalize the good gradual shifts/ experiences.

It can be easy to be so focused on the final goal that you forget to look around you and celebrate the steps along the way. Taking time to celebrate these with clients, and reflect on what each success and challenge has taught them is a huge confidence builder, and helps to reinforce the skills that they are developing so that they can be used again and again as they go through the various turns and twists of life.

It is important to realize that it is more likely to reach a goal if our thoughts are in sync with our feelings. That means that a goal does not only have to be reasonable, but we also have to feel good about reaching it. Moreover, the "gut feeling" acts as a valuable indicator when we are making a decision. An idea or a next step may sound plausible - however, we should not pursue it if we do not feel good about it, because otherwise we are acting against ourselves.

Consider and apply previous five ideas to your situation. Next step is to self-evaluate your situation and your goals. Does taking action fit in and is what you need to advance personally and professionally. Will it be a good decision in 2, 3, or 5 years. Because it looks good doesn’t make it sustainable or successful. Don’t be afraid to ask others to help you cover both positive and negative aspects. Your life depends on it!

✔️Actively listen to understand their current challenges and emotions. ✔️Help them identify their long-term objectives and values for direction and purpose. ✔️Assist in exploring different paths through brainstorming and research. ✔️Create a flexible yet goal-focused plan with clear steps. ✔️Provide regular support and accountability to keep them on track. ✔️Help them manage emotions, suggesting mindfulness techniques and, if needed, professional counseling for stress and fear. ✔️Celebrate any progress to boost confidence and maintain momentum. ✔️Continuously evaluate and adjust the plan to address new challenges.

To help a client find direction during a transition, I offer guidance by understanding their concerns, providing a clear roadmap, and assisting in navigating changes. I also foster open communication, address uncertainties, and collaborate on a plan to ease the transition process.

While you floating to your ultimate destination Its important to stay value and purpose centered just like birds of a feather when hold our core values tightly and are strongly chasing our purpose with our why in the back of our mind we only allow ourself to end up in the kind of waters that align with those values and purpose and like cold water or strong currents that could make us end up lost we will naturally auto correct at any place that doesn’t fit and may he surprised if more focus is on eternal unchanging parts of our character we may end up in a place that feel but nit looks right until we realize it is and were repelled by what we thought we wanted. Always trust your gut and intuition it is your soul speaking.