A Glossary Of Legal Coaching Terms
An industry professional, regardless of their knowledge and skill, may require expert guidance at some point in their career. Legal professionals or lawyers are no exception. Even though they are part of the daily operations of the legal industry, they may find words and phrases used during legal coaching confusing to comprehend.
However, as an industry professional looking to enroll yourself for legal coaching, if you are unaware of the many coaching terms that are used, you may be unable to derive maximum benefit from the coaching process and enhance your career further.
As an experienced legal coach, Ian Solomon has created this handy reference guide to help you understand the terms, acronyms and phrases used by coaches. Here you’ll find valuable information allowing you to comprehend the terms used during the coaching process.
Gremlin: The term I use to describe “inner critic,” the inner voice that stops you from doing what you need or want to do.
Accountability: This is a commitment I will hold you accountable for. You will often have some type of homework to do after each of our calls. You may also create weekly accountabilities that I will check in with you about on each call.
Requests: This would imply keeping a log of all prospects contacted, with a follow-up date. A request requires one of three responses from you: yes, no or a counter offer. (i.e., “I’m only willing to get ten no’s”).
Challenges: This is an outrageous request, intended to “bust” your limits. For example, get twenty no’s for the services you sell. Again, you may say yes, no, or make a counteroffer. (i.e., “I’m only willing to get ten no’s.”).
Inquiries: These are questions that cannot be answered right away, and need to be considered from several angles. Inquiries are usually asked at the end of a coaching session, allowing you time in between the coaching to think about it. Questions such as, “Where do you give your power away?” or “What is present when you are at your best? are examples of inquiries. You always have editorial privileges on inquiries; if the question I come up with isn’t quite right, let me know and we’ll reformulate it together. I will often ask you to journal about such questions.
Structures: A structure is any device that reminds you to be in action. Accountability in a coaching relationship is a structure. Structures are way to sustain the action and learning in the week or weeks in between the coaching calls. They are meant to provide discipline and focus on an area where it’s hard for you to stay on track. They are also intended to be fun, increasing the likelihood that you’ll do them.
Intrude: I may sometimes interrupt a story you’re telling. I’m not interested in the details of what happens in your life. What I am interested in is your understanding of what’s important about the details of your life. When I intrude, I will ask you, “What’s the bottom line?” or “what’s important about that?” This will have you look at what’s important about the story, speak the bottom line or essence of it and in doing so, move your focus from circumstances to learning.
Bottom Line: Bottom line is the important essence of a story. I will sometimes ask you to give me the “bottom line.” This means you will need to cut off the story and get to the point of what is important to you about the story.
Forward the Action: This is one of the primary objectives of coaching. Forwarding the action is getting you to work around your goals or a change you want to make in your life.
Deepen the Learning: This is the other primary objective of coaching. This is where coaching becomes rich and “juicy” and is about you learning more about yourself and how you work best or limit yourself.
Designed Alliance: This is the relationship we consciously create together as a coach and client. We can redesign the alliance at any time. All you have to do is ask.
As a professional lawyer coach in Toronto, ON, Ian Solomon can help you monetize your true value by developing strategies that work around your goals and strengths. I will help you move your career in an upward direction and ensure you gain a competitive advantage.
I offer executive coaching services to lawyers and law firms across Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Windsor, Ottawa, London, Sudbury & the Greater Toronto Area. I even provide personal business coaching services for lawyers and entrepreneurs.
To learn more about how I can help you, please click here. If you have any questions about legal coaching or my services, please get in touch with me here.