How to fix a coaching mistake

The moment Dr. Karin Nordin left the call from Zoom, she realized she had made a crucial mistake.

This was her first coaching session with a brand new client and from the very beginning things felt a bit wrong.

The client (let’s call him Dierdre) felt emotional. Within minutes, tears were shed.

And when Dr. Nordin offered advice, Dierdre quickly turned it down.

Then Nordin, a gentle man and an experienced professional, did something unusual:

She was angry.

Instead of applying her coaching experience, she found herself in Deerder, challenging her excuses and trying to force her to change.

Naturally, the more insistent Nordin was, the more stubborn Deirdre became.

When he closed his laptop, Dr. Nordin knew without a doubt … this client would not return.

What do you do when you fuck?

It turns out that you can learn from Dr. Nordin’s experience.

Nordin is a PN certified trainer, Precision Nutrition curriculum advisor and holds a PhD in Health Communication.

She is also considered a professional at making mistakes. Well, not just make mistakes, but grow out of them.

Her academic and professional experience is in something called growth thinking, which sees mistakes and failures as springboards for improvement.

(And yes, the term “thinking for growth” is almost a cliché these days, but it’s a real research-based psychological discipline and something we can all benefit from.)

Here’s how Dr. Nordin bounced off his mistake — and how you can do the same.

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Step 1. If you feel compelled to fix it right now… wait.

Do you know that almost gloomy feeling you get when you mix up?

Dr. Nordin feels it too. After her conversation with Dierdre, “I felt vomiting and rough for a while. I kept thinking, “I did so badly, that’s the worst.”

While her natural impulse was to try to correct her mistake, she chose to wait 24 hours before taking action.

“We want to be able to react in a neutral state or as neutrally as possible,” she explains. “And that may take a while.”

In other words, the classic “sleep on it” advice still applies. Of course, this can take a little discipline (especially if you tend to fix things right away.)

“I knew I would think about it while lying in bed at night,” says Nordin, “but with a short distance I was able to react to the situation much better.”

The collection: Your tendency may be to try to fix things right away. But take your time. You will probably answer the next day from a calmer and more rational space.

Step 2. Practice radical responsibility.

Much of coaching helps clients recognize the independence and control they have over their choices and actions.

This gives opportunities: Customers begin to realize that they have what it takes to change their habits and achieve their goals.

The same principle applies to coaches. Especially after we went crazy.

“I find it very useful to take radical responsibility,” Nordin said.

“Regardless of the situation, I say to myself: Let’s just pretend for a moment 100 percent of that is my fault. Then on this basis I ask myself: What can I do about it? ”

Depending on your mistake, the answer may be obvious.

For example, if you gave the customer information that turned out to be wrong, just admit the mistake and provide them with the correct data.

But even if the mistake is more annoying, Nordin says recognition is still a good way.

In the case of Dierdre, Nordin waited 24 hours – and then wrote an email that looked like this:

Hello, Dierdre,

I know that our conversation was very heated and I apologize for that. What you do in your life is 100% your choice – not mine.

I fully understand that you do not want to go ahead with coaching and I have returned your deposit.

Thank you for your time. I wish you all the best in all future endeavors.

The collection: Resist the temptation to blame the customer, deny the mistake, justify it, or sweep it under the rug. Take ownership of your actions and do your best to correct the mistake. This approach is not only more professional – it is also more authoritative.

Step 3. Look for growth opportunities.

Once you have done the right thing on behalf of the client, think about what you can do learn from experience.

“My mistake taught me a lot about my coaching practice and how to market myself as a behavior change coach,” says Nordin.

Her biggest realization?

That she didn’t tell Dierdre correctly what to expect in their coaching session. “I think she was expecting someone to just listen to her and help her overcome her emotional problems, while my coaching is more of a habit change.”

And yes, customer resistance is a normal part of the change. But if Nordin had given Deird a better idea of ​​what her behavior usually leads to, coaching could have avoided the conflict.

“It wasn’t Deirdre’s fault.” “A lot of people don’t know what coaching is for behavior change,” Nordin added. “I need to do a better job of helping people understand what to expect when they work with me.”

The collection: Don’t beat yourself up for your mistake. Instead, focus on how you can use it as a learning experience. Strive to come up with at least one thing to work on improving or next time.

Step 4. Be curious about yourself.

In addition to professional growth, mistakes can be an opportunity to understand each other better.

Of course, sometimes mistakes are just mistakes – caused by inexperience or lack of knowledge. But they often point to areas where we can dig deeper.

“This is especially true if it becomes a model,” says Nordin. “For example, if you find yourself repeatedly aggravated or tense, you can project your problems onto the client.”

After the situation with Dierdre, Dr. Nordin wondered, “Why was I so angry about this?”

Eventually, she decided that her emotional outburst was caused by some personal issues that she had overlooked.

So, because she is growth-oriented, she decides to study them with a therapist.

The collection: Do a little honest thinking. Of course, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” (This is a quote from Sigmund Freud, in case you’ve never seen it.)

On the other hand, some mistakes (especially repetitive ones) can serve as a wake-up call or even a personal breakthrough.

Yes, mistakes can be bad at the moment. But if you can approach them with curiosity, an open mind and a dose of compassion, they could just make you a better coach – and a happier person.

If you are a coach or want to be …

Learning how to educate clients, patients, friends or family members through healthy eating and lifestyle changes – in a way that is personalized for their unique body, preferences and circumstances – is both an art and a science.

If you want to learn more about both, consider Level 1 precision nutrition certification.