BEYOND THE PATTERN TO THE ART

In “running a pattern” as part of how you facilitate the coaching conversation, there are numerous variables to be aware of. In the last article, I mentioned several variables: know the steps as the inherent strategy to achieve a particular objective, know and use the precise language of the questions. The language in a pattern has been well-tested, so use it until you know it by heart. Know the elicitation question for the pattern to develop your confidence about when to use it and when not to use it. Deeply know the distinctions which are required in the pattern, the distinctions upon which the pattern works.

If that sounds very cut and dry, then you may be missing something else when it comes to running a pattern. Yes, you can walk through each step and each question with a client and coach the person through the pattern and while it will usually “work,” it will not always work. And when it does not, when it seems to you and your client that it was an interesting exercise, but that’s all, it was not transformative, then what you probably missed was the art of running a pattern.