In this month’s previous article, we looked at Saundra Dalton-Smith’s 7 Types of Rest that impact our happiness, productivity, and fulfillment. One of those she identified is the need for Creative Rest. Admittedly, age, stress, and the demands of life can diminish our creative options so the question becomes – How do we re-awaken our creative spirit and zest for life; especially, as it relates to our work as coaches.

Beginning with the ICF definition of coaching, “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential”, it is clear that “Coaching is a Creative Process”. So, how can we provide more creative rest moments so that our client’s awareness and insight can occur?

In Marcia Reynolds new book, “Breakthrough Coaching – Creating Lifebulb Moments in Your Coaching Conversations”, she quotes Graham Wallas, (1926) who identified four stages of creativity – preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification which she further modified to exploration, focusing in, illumination, and confirmation to more closely align with the creative process of coaching. Briefly, let’s look at each stage and consider how we provide “creative rest” so that client awareness and insight can emerge.

Stage 1: Exploration

Gathering information is the first stage of the creative process. Our full presence allows us to listen deeply in order to reflect the words the client uses so that they can think about their thinking, which Reynolds says, “is an analytical process of examining the meaning of their words in the context they are exploring, how their thoughts serve or delay their goals, and what other ways of thinking are possible”. Additionally, she credits Shelley Carson for naming this process as stimulating “intellectual curiosity”. Once we begin to cut through the story to clarify what they want instead of what is occurring in the moment, we are ready for the next step.

Stage 2: Focusing In

With the desired outcome perfectly clear, it’s time to shift to what needs to be addressed or resolved to achieve the outcome. Reynolds describes this as moving from an “intellectual discourse to eliciting emotionally charged reasoning and rationalizations”. As coaches we shift “from external definitions to internal emotional states and triggers”. The BIG QUESTION Marcia encourages us to wonder is, “What is stopping this capable person from solving this problem on their own?” She says that the clues will come from their bodily reactions. Further, Reynolds states, “noticing and sharing emotional shifts sets off a different reaction when the new awareness emerges”.

Stage 3: Illumination

This is where she says we “don’t interrupt the process; we stay silent, and we witness the magic”. And, she says, “we do not ask, “What are you feeling?” Most likely clients are not immediately able to name the reaction. Instead, we share what we’ve noticed or felt such as “you slowed down and looked down when you said . . .” and, then ask, if they would share what thoughts triggered the shift. We are also sensitive to the intensity of the emotions they experience. Subtle intensity can be shared without hesitation. More intense emotion may signal the need for a safe space for processing the emotion.

Stage 4: Confirmation

As the emotions subside, we ask if the client is willing to share what is on their mind at the moment. Intentionally, we check to see how the realization is connected to the desired outcome. It’s at this point, that Marcia says the answer to the previous question, “What is stopping this capable person from resolving the problem on their own?” may be revealed. The degree of safety the client feels will impact their willingness to share the insights from this new awareness.

In essence, we have activated the possibility for the lightbulb moment.

How are you wanting to use Marcia’s process to create lightbulb moments for your clients?

Marcia Reynolds, Breakthrough Coaching – Creating Lifebulb Moments in Your Coaching Conversations (CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2024).