Virtual Coaching is now the new normal. Professional Coaches are exploring ways to serve clients virtually.
I've been experimenting with ways to solve this problem.
Miro.com, an online collaboration platform, is especially helpful. With Miro, you can easily create virtual coaching exercises.
You can collaborate with clients can easily via the whiteboard. This creates an engaging coaching conversation.
I've used Miro successfully for:
Self-Reflection
Personal 1-1 Coaching (e.g. Leadership Coaching)
Team Coaching
To help you get started
I have created templates for common coaching exercises. These templates will save you time and effort, allowing you to get started with this new way of coaching.
Virtual Coaching Templates:
Fear Setting - Helping people overcome fears that are holding them back
Wheel of Life - Examine the impact a decision might have on your life
Tiny Habits - A framework to help people build and break habits
Vision Chairs - Inspire action towards a goal
Improvement Canvas - Help an organisation or team find a path towards their vision
Request Edit Access:
Fear Setting and Tiny Habits can be downloaded at Miroverse, the Miro template library.
If you would like to request edit access to the other boards please drop me an email at toby@tobysinclair.com or tweet me at @TobySinclair_
I will share with you a fully editable board you can copy into your personal Miro Account.
Fear Setting | Download at Miroverse
Perfect for.... helping people overcome fears that are holding the back
"I do an exercise called “fear-setting” at least once a quarter, often once a month. It is the most powerful exercise I do."
Tim Ferris
Video Summary of the exercise
What is Fear Setting?
It's a structured reflection virtual coaching tool to help you make decisions when fear is holding you back and distorting your thinking.
It is a good alternative exercise to traditional goal setting.
Why use Fear Setting?
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger
This is a great virtual coaching technique to use when faced with a decision you fear. The exercise can help you realise that the fears in your head are not as bad as reality.
How does it work?
Fear-Setting has three steps, each with a different purpose:
Put your fears under a microscope
Consider the potential benefits of taking action
Consider the consequences of inaction
Fear Setting can be done as a self-reflection activity, part of a coaching conversation or works great as a team activity.
Wheel of Life | Miro Board
Perfect for.... reflecting on how a decision might impact aspects of your life
What is Wheel of Life?
The Wheel of Life is a popular online coaching exercise. It allows a client to explore different dimensions of their life. The wheel is a visual representation of the person's life with segments of the wheel relating to different life dimensions.
Why use Wheel of Life?
It's a great way for a client to gain a new perspective on their life. It helps clients appreciate the impact a decision might have on other parts of their life. For example, how might a new job impact their family, social life and health?
How to use Wheel of Life coaching tool?
Review the Wheel of Anything - Edit the 8 Categories so that they reflect the primary categories of your life
For each section think about your level of satisfaction for each category
Next, draw a line across each section to visualise your current level - 0 Not Satisfied 10 Fully Satisfied
Looking at the wheel what jumps out to you?
Tiny Habits Framework | Download at Miroverse
Perfect for.... building and breaking habits
What is the Tiny Habits Framework?
This framework, created by BJ Fogg, focuses on the idea that the best way to change behaviour is to cultivate Tiny Habits. This 6 step process explores your aspiration and helps identify tiny habits that will help you move forward towards it.
This book summary expands more on the framework
Why and when to use this framework?
Behaviour change is hard but we can make it easier. So many people start with a big aspiration but then fail to follow up with the behaviour that will make it happen. This framework is a practical way to maximise your chances of success. A perfect framework to achieve many goals such as fitness, career or family. This can framework can be used individually and also within a team setting.
How to use it?
On this canvas are the 6 behaviour change steps. Start by defining your aspiration, let's imagine it's to reduce stress. The following steps then explore the behaviours which will help move towards that aspiration. You'll take these behaviours and break them down into Tiny Habits.
Vision Chairs | Miro Board
Perfect for.... inspiring action towards a goal and what it will take to get there
What is Vision Chairs?
This virtual coaching tool is good for gaining perspective, objectivity and exploring the consequences of current behaviours and actions. Done in person, real chairs would be used but still works well in this virtual environment.
Why and When to use Vision Chairs?
It can be used for business or personal goals and for decision-making. It is good for clients who have previously not met their goal but continue to want to achieve it. It is effective at connecting behaviours and actions to outcomes.
How to use Vision Chairs?
The exercise consists of three chairs:
Chair 1 - Current Situation
Chair 2- Future Situation with no change
Chair 3 - Future Situation where change has happened
Over 6 steps you are guided through each of the chairs. Questions help you reflect on your thoughts and feelings at each step.
At the end of the exercises, clients will have a fresh perspective and concrete next steps.
You can do this as a personal reflection activity or during a guided coaching conversation.
Improvement Canvas - Charter a path to your future | Miro Board
Perfect for.... identifying how to get from where you are today and where you want to be
What is the Improvement Canvas?
The improvement canvas is based upon the "Toyota Kata" Approach. It's a visual way to explore your vision, where are you now, where you want to go next and the first steps you can take. In addition, I have added indicators. How do we know what the current state is and how will we know it has changed. Also, there is a force field analysis that explores what will work for and against change.
Why and When would it be used?
This canvas can be used for any major change effort. It can work for personal, team or organisational change. It is particularly effective with groups, to get everyone on the same page, literally. It can act s a living reminder of why you are changing and the steps you are taking.
How do you use it?
The canvas has 4 sections:
Vision - The Why
Current State - Where you are now
Target State - Where you would like to be next e.g. 3 months from now
Next Steps - What are the first steps to be taken
If doing this as a group, bring together a diverse group of people involved in the change. Walkthrough each section of the canvas and gather ideas for each. Synthesise on the themes for each section.
Need Help?
Get in touch for free mentoring on this tool and more!
