CLIENT
The client was feeling anxious about a job interview.
SESSIONS
The session explored feelings of guilt, anxiety and excitement associated with potentially leaving their old role and starting a new one. Through inquiry each feeling was discussed in a mix of both rational argument and emotional feeling. This surfaced further feelings about readiness, competency, ability each of which was probed along the lines 'How would you know?' or 'Who would be the best judge?' .
There was a repeated discussion about factors that were pushing or pulling the client in one direction or another. These factors included logical, emotional, carear, family, stability, opportunity and ambition considerations. The client articulated a clear plan of preparation and readiness for the job interview, and indeed the evaluation criteria for accepting or rejecting the role.
By splitting the events into a sequence of 1. before interview, 2. after interview and 3. making decision, it became clear that not withstanding their apprehension about the job interview, the anxiety was linked to the decision.
The coach invited the client to think about 'What would it be like going into the interview knowing that you are going to reject the role?' . The client immediately felt relieved understanding that they could make 'decline' the default option. This appeared to remove all the anxiety, leaving the possibility of accepting the role, but with no assumption (and therefore pressure) that this was inevitable.
The client later wrote a Thank You by email: Thanks again for today’s session.... It’s helped me so much, I already feel much lighter
REFLECTIONS
The session certainly removed the clients present anxiety. There may yet be a challenge if they are offered the role and need to make a decision, but there is merit in "Don't cross your bridges before you come to them" (Don't worry about problems before they arrive.) and the session put the client in a better frame of mind for the next two steps, which may indeed help calm clarity for the third step should it ever come to that.
IMPORTANT NOTES
The Coach engages in training and continuing education pursuing and/or maintaining ICF (International Coach Federation) credentials. All coaching conversations are confidential and the abbreviated case above has been amended so as to protect the anonymity for the client whilst providing evidence of coaching practice, reflection and learning, for the purposes of ICF education, supervision, or oversight.
All coaching engagements follow ICF Policies and Principles Resources, Terms and Conditions https://www.adaptconsultingcompany.com/coachingtoolkit/client.php
The article below provides some context to the coaching style adopted.
FINDING YOUR OWN COACHING STYLE
https://adaptcoaching.blogspot.com/2021/03/finding-your-own-coaching-style.html
