Coaching The Butterfly Effect

Coaching the Butterfly Effect is coaching someone to think through the various options they have in front of them and consider where each may lead – sort of like chess; you as the coach or leader are helping them to think several moves ahead.

This is actually quite simple to do, but challenging to stay focused. The tendency is to coach only one option.  So while you are chasing your client, and the option, down the rabbit hole, it’s likely you’ve excluded any other possibilities.

So here are 6 quick steps to stay on track:

State the Situation Clearly
Ultimately, you’re going to be deciding which choices best address the current situation, so you need to make sure you’re starting point is clearly known and stated.

State the Desired Outcome
Now that you know where you are, you need to know where you’re going. This actually becomes very important when the person you’re coaching might have a button pressed or an emotional reaction to their situation. Focusing on the desired outcomes moves them away from what they’re experiencing and towards what they really want, thus, they’re more likely to focus on beneficial choices, as opposed to just reacting.

List a Minimum of 3 Possible Paths Forward
The first idea that usually comes out is the default “go to” option. It’s typically just their gut reaction. Brainstorm at least 3 options and see which one or which combination of them might be best, leading us to the Butterfly Effect stage.

Weigh Each Option with 5 Follow Up ‘And Then What’s?’
Focus just on thinking through a few steps at a time. One way to do that is asking the person to talk about what it might look like to take this path, what their next steps would be, and continue asking, “and then what might reasonably occur?” or “and then what might that lead to?” up to a maximum of 5 times. You can then ask them about the pros and cons of that scenario as they think it through.

State the Likely Choice and Ask for Commitment Level
Simply have them state the choice they want to pursue and ask them how committed they are to taking this path. If they’re anything less than 100% committed, ask them what would increase their commitment.

Close Any Remaining Gaps to Boost Commitment to Moving Forward
For any gaps, coach them to come up with strategies to boost their commitment level. This isn’t to say they’ll be 100% confident, completely fearless, or without doubt; it just means that they have thought through their options and know that this is the best path to pursue at this time, AND that putting themselves fully into taking that path best sets them up to achieve their desired outcomes.

What comes to mind for you about coaching the butterfly effect?  We’d love to hear from you – either comment below or head over to our Facebook Page.

To your success,
Luke and Team iPEC