HOW DO YOU USE COACHING PICTURE CARDS?

Do you want to get the conversation going?  Help people to express themselves? Generate ideas and options? Our cards will help you do it!

Our card sets are collections of unique powerful 5 X 7 inch images that are used by:

  • Human Resources Professionals,

  • Workshop Facilitators,

  • Life and Workplace Coaches,

  • Teachers,

  • Counsellors and any other professional to start conversations.

They may be used in one-on-one situations or in large groups for helping facilitate conversations and used as a people discovery tool.

Ice Breakers:

Options or ideas:

  • Choose an image that represents a hobby or interest of yours.  Something you love to do.

  • Choose an image that represents a “bucket list” item for you.

  • Choose an image that represents your greatest accomplishment or something you are proud of.

  • Choose a topic that you would illustrate a point in the workshop or an experience you would like them to have.

Workshop Learnings:

  • After a workshop - have participants select 1 or 2 cards that represent a key learning they discovered and want to remember

  • Variations may include:

    • Top actions they would like to implement

    • Items they would like to explore more or research

    • Learnings they would like to practice

Coaching questions:  “A moment of ……..”

Find an image that reflects one of the following:

“A moment of …….:

  • Joy

  • Peace

  • Fun

  • Reflection

  • Ask – why? (Asking Why – deepens the experience and allows discovery of the Purpose)

Identify Meaning:

  • Have people choose a card from the deck without knowing which card they will select.  Ask questions:

    • How does this image reflect a quality you have?

    • What does this card represent to you?

    • What do you like or dislike about the image?

    • How does it represent something you want more of / less of in your life / work?

Values Discovery:

  • Choose a picture that represents some of the core values in your organizations – the way you want to be treated and the way others should treat you.

  • Choose a picture that represents what your company is really good at.

  • Choose an image that represents something your company might improve or develop more.

Perceptual Shift:

  • Choose images that reflect a different perspective. Look at images that reflect another person’s point of view or other options available. For example, if you were to ask your best friend what are your greatest qualities, what images would that friend choose?

Mystery Card:

  • Choose a card without seeing the image

  • Turn the card over and ask yourself some questions:

    • What does this image say / remind me about my situation or circumstance?

    • What does it not say / remind me about my situation or circumstance?

    • What might be a better image to tell my story or where I would like to be?

Creating a Coaching Experience:

  • The cards are extremely useful in helping the client get comfortable with a  "coach position" ie: shoulder to shoulder

  • Explore a coaching question in more depth.  When a person picks a couple of images that represent what they really want – you may ask some probing questions such as :

    • Where and When do you want this?

    • What do you want to do?

    • How will you get it?

    • Why is this important to you?

    • Who are you when you have it?

  • Having difficulty explaining the difference between coaching and counselling? Try this exercise: EX: Have the person pick 3 cards. One with an image that might represent where they felt they were in the past. The second image to represent where they are today and the third card will be where they want to be ( or what they want more of) in the future. Explain that in solution focused coaching, you can review cards # 1 & 2 to get an understanding of the problem, but its the third card (what the person wants instead ) that will be explored in more depth. Counselling tends to focus on the first and second cards in much more depth. Having a card picked that represents what the person wants more of in their life/ work tends to be a helpful visual reminder to keep on task; to both the coach and the client as they continue with the coaching process.

Identifying Action Steps:

  • A person may be at a place to know what they want and now need to move forward on that next step.  Have a person select some images that represent that next step they need to take.

 Balance:

  • This exercise is helpful in exploring the areas of life / work that need to be balanced.  Draw a large circle on a page and divide it into sections.  Each section can represent a component of life / work that impacts a person’s balance. 

  • Select images that represent a section of the areas the person would like to explore.

  • Ask questions about what they might want more of / less of in those areas.

What's working for me?

  • Choose an image that represents something that works in your life right now.

  • Choose an image that represents something that is not working right now.

  • Choose images that represent what you want to instead. 

  • What actions will you take?

 The Rumble:

In the book Rising Strong by Brene Brown, she describes a process to poke, prod, and explore the ins and outs of our story.  "The goal of the rumble is to get honest about the stories we're making up about our struggles, to revisit, challenge, and reality-check these narratives as we dig into topics such as boundaries, shame, blame, resentment, heartbreak, generosity, and forgiveness." (Brown, 2015, P. 77) 

Here are the questions you can explore using your Discovery Chat Cards:

1.  What more do I need to learn and understand about the situation?

  • What do I know objectively?

  • What assumptions am I making?

2.  What more do I need to learn and understand about the other people in the story?

  • What additional information do I need?

  • What questions or clarifications might help?

3.  What more do I need to learn and understand about myself?

  • What's underneath my response?

  • What am I really feeling?

  • What part did I play?

(Brown, P. 92 & 93)

General Inquiry Questions:

When you ask someone to choose a card – you can explore it more by asking some of the following questions:

  • Why did you choose the card?

  • What story does it represent?

  • How does this card reflect your current situation?

  • How does this card reflect your desired future?

  • How can this card be even more relevant?

  • What do you want instead?

  • How does this serve you or others well?

 

Spot the Safety Hazard:

  • Choose a card and identify the safety hazard or risk from the photo

    • Examples might be: tripping / falling hazard, temperature, weather, pressure, psychological health etc.

 

Your unique way of using the cards:

We invite you to experiment with the cards and discover ways they contribute to your practice and clients:

  • We welcome your feedback and love to share your techniques and results with our community on our blog page. We know we learn & benefit from each other. Simply email or call and we will add a post onto the site. Thank You for your input and have fun with the process.  

 

Final Note:

Should you want a print of any of the cards for a persons vision board, etc.. please contact Laurel for a price on a professional quality print. (4x6 sizes and up)