DEALING WITH DIS-ENGAGED CLIENTS

Have you ever had a disengaged client? Sometimes what is challenging in coaching is the dis- engagement of your client. It’s challenging when you end up sitting with a client who doesn’t seem all that motivated to engage in the coaching. It’s challenging when the conversation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. It’s challenging when you are given a person to coach who doesn’t want to be coached! So what’s a Meta-Coach to do?

First of all, you will want to detect and calibrate to the person’s unique form of dis-engagement. That’s because all disengagement is not the same. How does the disengagement show up in your client? Does he have low energy? Does she give lackluster responses? Is he distracted and unable to maintain focus in the conversation? Is she complaining but not setting forth any goal or willingness to do something about the complaints? Is he uncertain, not-knowing, not caring? Does she give such vague responses that you can’t get ahold of anything specific? Does he offer small little goals that are hardly worth your time even talking about?