ABSTRACT
The initial stages of the Breakthrough Conversations approach are concerned with evoking the motivation of clients to engage in the reflection and self-inquiry necessary for making shifts in how they relate to others. We evoke intrinsic motivation by inviting clients to talk about what they want to achieve through coaching. As we explore the purpose of the work, we also consider the degree to which coaching goals can be framed in conversational terms. Developing a vision or picture of success can also reinforce motivation. A further strengthening of motivation can be fostered by exploring character habits and supporting clients to consider how they can use the conversational domain as a place to be one’s best self. The Character Compass is a frame for capturing the four cardinal directions of character: Grounded, Seeking, Spacious and Warm. These, together with an expanded set of 12-character habits, provide a basis for identifying strengths and gaps in character habits, and for prioritising specific habits that clients wish to develop in conversational contexts. The initial sessions also need to cover a number of practical aspects of coaching, such as the methods for gathering feedback or other data and the use of paired sessions as well as one-to-one sessions. The first stage of this approach also begins to evoke reflectiveness through the nature of our inquiry and the invitation for clients to notice their embodied, emotional responses to experience.
