A Coaching Model Created by Mei Sing Ho
(Career Coach, SINGAPORE)

GRACE personified by Figure Skater Brooklee Han

It seems that sometimes Career Coaches need to work on re-directing careers gone awry.  People are unhappy because they are in the wrong job. So, why not start right?

Start career coaching young talent. Even before they are out of school. Ideally, just on the verge of embarking on their adult life journey, when the decision to go to the university, or be a gamer, sets young people off on a path which would often define their lives. Starting on the right foot with GRACE, may just make that crucial difference to a lot of careers, but more than that, to the quality of those lives. The acronym GRACE stands for:

G – Gratitude

R – Respect

A – Awareness  

C – Courage

E – Empowerment

This coaching model is intended to allow young people to explore their strengths and be rooted in Gratitude, for what they have. To evolve with Respect in their relationships as they move forward with their lives. Grounded in these solid foundations, they can afford to be outward looking and exercise Awareness to people and happenings in the world around them. When they learn that they have always had Courage to overcome obstacles, they will embody Empowerment to achieve their dreams and aspirations, being in a state of GRACE.

What is a state of GRACE? An analogy by cathy@lightheartmedia.com is as follows:

Like a graceful figure skater, a person living in grace aligns body, mind and spirit with the world. A figure skater knows her body’s strengths and limitations. She knows how to coax her muscles into strength, flexibility and balance. She is intimately familiar with the forces of nature: with gravity, with centrifugal motion, the texture of the ice, the sharpness of her blades, the support of her boots and each nuance of the music. Intimately familiar with her body and the outside world, she knows precisely how to dance on ice with effortless ease and grace.

The emphasis to the young talent:

• Know your strengths
• Know your limitations
• Know how to harness and hone what you have
• Know the world you are dealing with
• Know your tools and how to use them well
• Know how to listen to what affects you
• Know when and how to go with the flow
• Know when and how to set the pace
• Know how to make it all work together gracefully

This is an inspiration to the young, to achieve a better understanding of their strengths, and thus, making the most of their natural talents, finding their innate passion and fulfilling their dreams, within the context of this world that we inhabit.

Like the skater, the more aware we become of the world and ourselves, the better we can flow with grace.

As Deepak Chopra puts it:

When the rhythms of our body-mind are in synch with nature’s rhythms, when we are living in harmony with life, we are living in the state of grace. To live in grace is to experience that state of consciousness where things flow effortlessly and our desires are easily fulfilled. Grace is magical, synchronistic, coincidental, and joyful. It’s that good-luck factor. But to live in grace we have to allow nature’s intelligence to flow through us without interfering.

The coaching model GRACE is imprinted with the following:

Gratitude

Being grateful for all that we are and all that we have, because that is all we need. Be positive.

Discovery questions to Client:

• What are your talents and your strengths?
• What do you have in your life that you consider valuable?
• What are you most grateful for?
• How would you want to make your life seem more complete?

Respect

Being respectful to all living things, get to know and understand them; that knowledge will stand us in good stead. Be kind.

Discovery questions to Client:

• How do you get along with your family, friends, classmates and teachers?
• What extra curriculum activities are you involved?
• What areas of voluntary work in the community are you involved in?
• When are the times when you have helped someone and it felt good?

Awareness

Being open to people and the world around us,opportunities present themselves to us all the time. Be mindful.

Discovery questions to Client:

• What is your Life Purpose?
• What are the opportunities that you think you may have missed?
• What networks do you have apart from social media?
• How will you be aware and in tune with what is going on around you?

Courage

Being brave enough to step up to the plate and taking opportunities in both hands. Be fearless.

Discovery questions to Client:

• What are your weaknesses and your fears?
• What do you hope to improve on or overcome?
• What obstacles stop you from moving forward with your choices?
• How do you overcome obstacles to your goals?

Empowerment

When we are positive, kind, mindful and fearless, we are empowered to be the best that we can be. Be awesome!

Discovery questions to Client:

• What brightens up your day?
• What is your passion?
• What are your dreams and aspirations?
• How is your plan to achieve your hopes and desires coming along?

As we take the young adult through the process of self-discovery, his or her awareness will be more finely tuned to themselves and the world at large. When the perception shifts to one of realization of his or her true capabilities and infinite power, that is when the magic happens, they will want to go and conquer the world.

Finally, wrap up the coaching with an Affirmation, for example:

When you recognize that nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you. – Lao Tsu

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