"See" what I mean? Using visual tools to add a new dimension to coaching conversations (ICF North Florida Hosting)

From cavemen to cartoonists, human beings have understood the power of simple images to communicate big ideas. Each of us uses images to communicate every day; we text a photo to a friend, create a chart for a presentation, or draw a map on a napkin. We understand that using visual images allows us to communicate complex ideas quickly, compactly, and often without a language barrier. Using sketches is another way of reflecting, summarizing, and bringing to life important coaching communications. Drawing images, metaphors and analogies allows the coach and client to co-create awareness and understanding. Our brains see patterns and make meaning from visual input within milliseconds; we often “see” what we mean before we can say what we mean. The result is greater awareness and insight into a topic which enables transformation. Clients often keep the visual notes as reminders and cues to turn their insights into actions.

In this workshop we will explore and practice several ways to incorporate images and visual elements into our coaching practice.

The program includes:

• an overview of visual coaching
• practice of basic drawing elements and templates that are relevant to coaching
• a coaching demonstration

Employing visual tools in our coaching can increase our range and proficiency in core coaching competencies as well. For example:

• Foundation: Coaching ethics and mindset are integrated into the visual coaching process.
• Co-creating the relationship: The coach facilitates establishing and maintaining agreements assisting clients as they gain a clear visual representation of present state, ideal future state, milestones and potential barriers. Trust and safety are cultivated as the client drives the experience. Coaching facilitates safe, supportive, and creative collaborative partnership. The coach maintains full presence with client throughout this coaching process both in the traditional sense and as together coach and client “see” what they mean.
• Communicates effectively: The coach communicates effectively by actively listening and evoking awareness both through dialogue and through flexibly and accurately capturing visual representations of the client and their world. This may result in profoundly evocative awareness.
• Cultivating learning and growth: Integrations of new thoughts, feeling and actions into clients’ worldviews, paths forward, celebrations, and future planning can all be visually captured.

Meet Carla Yetter

Carla is a leadership development coach with a focus on mid-career professionals. Considering herself a ‘right-brained’ engineer, she combines her technical training, management and leadership experience with a love of visual expression to create a unique coaching experience.  By co-creating sketches, mind maps, and diagrams, individuals and teams can process complex ideas efficiently and gain new insights that are not available through words alone.  She started her work life as a chemical engineer. There she learned the power of diagrams and pictures to simplify complex manufacturing processes, foster understanding and accelerate problem solving. Throughout her career as a manager the power of pictures was equally effective for enabling individuals and teams to communicate effectively and generate shared vision. Today as a corporate executive she still reaches for a marker to help people “see” what they mean.