As a coach, you’re going to work with many different people. That might seem like a very obvious fact, but bear with me. The point is that you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to coaching. What works for one person won’t work for the next person.
Part of this is getting to know who you’re working with. You’ll learn their background, needs, and goals. But you also have to have a good idea of how they learn best so you can present information in the best possible way.
There are several different learning style theories. I’m going to discuss two of them. Don’t fret about this— just read the information so you can learn how to best categorize the person you’re coaching.
Index of Learning Styles
Richard Felder and Linda Silverman developed the Index of Learning Styles in the 1980’s. They believed there were four dimensions of learning styles.
Category 1: Sensory/Intuitive
Category 2: Visual/Verbal
Category 3: Active/Reflective
Category 4: Sequential/Global
Ideally, there should be a balance between sensory and intuitive. There should be a balance between visual and verbal. There should be a balance between active and reflective. There should be a balance between sequential and global.
Take a look at what each of these things mean. Which categories do your coaching clients seem to rely on? If they lean to one end or the other, you might help them with skills to balance more toward the middle in each of the four categories.
Sensory: Need fact-based, concreted information.
Intuitive: Enjoy meaning and theory.
Visual: Need graphs, pictures, and other visual representations.
Verbal: Need to read or hear words or information.
Active: Enjoy manipulating and working in groups.
Reflective: Enjoy working alone and thinking things through.
Sequential: Enjoy putting details together and thinking linearly.
Global: Enjoy a holistic approach— the big picture.
It’s not wrong to have any of these learning styles over another. It’s only “wrong” if something appears to be hindering their business in any way. Consider strategies to practice and strengthen these skills if necessary.
Myers-Briggs Personality Types
Myers-Briggs personality types are very revealing. Developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs, the test helps people understand themselves, each other, and their way of approaching and interacting with the world.
You answer a series of questions on the quiz, which reveals one of 16 different personality types. These include ISTJ, ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP, ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ, ENTJ.
Keep in mind that even though there are different types, there aren’t any “best” types. This just signals that there are valid differences between people you work with.
You don’t have to administer this test to those you work with necessarily, though you could become qualified to do so. Still, you’ll be able to recognize personality traits if you’re aware of them. You’ll see some of these traits in yourself.
Summaries of Common Personality Styles:
ENFP: The champion
ENTJ: The commander
ENTP: The visionary
ESFJ: The provider
ESFP: The performer
ESTJ: The supervisor
ESTP: The dynamo
INFJ: The counselor
INFP: The healer
INTJ: The mastermind
INTP: The architect
ISFJ: The protector
ISFP: The composer
ISTJ: The inspector
ISTP: The craftsman
Learn more about the personality types and what these seemingly mysterious letters mean, here: http://www.myersbriggs.org
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