Cathy Liska Because the job market is tight and because many families are losing their homes, your coaching clients may be faced with moving back in with their parents or having their own adult children moving back in.
What is your perspective of these possibilities? As a coach, your interest is understanding your client and focusing on a process that works for them to explore the circumstances and plan their approach.
If you have not had a similar experience, what are your options for learning about it? Considerations might include talking with people you know, reading stories, or researching implications. Of course each coaching client is different, which means ultimately as a coach it is about understanding your client as an individual.
What are tools a coach could create with their client?
* Create a map of the people in the households that are now merging. List the interests, needs, and wants of each person. Note how they interact with the others, and how they prefer to be treated.
* Develop a calendar for each family, and then combine the calendars to anticipate opportunities for connecting and opportunities for giving each family their own space.
* Diagram the house where everyone will live. Explore the flow of people moving through the home at different times. Discuss patterns that possibly create conflict, patterns that work well, and what habits it makes sense to develop.
* List the “rules” and expectations of each household. Compare how they blend and what differences mean. Brainstorm options for the merged household.
A coaching client benefits directly by exploring considerations in advance and planning effective approaches to manage the transition.
How would you provide perspective in a coaching session?
What open-ended questions could you ask as a coach?
