Don’t Upset your Clients by Asking About Something that Does not Really Exist!
Maria Biquet (Greece)
My dear fellow coaches,
I am writing this letter to you with all my love and support to save you time and energy in the coaching relationship.
What is the purpose of the ‘life purpose’ question?
A relatively common question in the coaching process is “what is your purpose in life?” Lots of articles, Coaching methods and proposed Sets of coaching questions include this question as vital for the development of a person.
By asking this serious question, you should/need to consider and think how the client might feel if they have to give you an answer during a coaching conversation, particularly if this isn’t a question instigated by themselves. This is a difficult, almost ‘philosophical’ question, that most people don’t usually think about.
The way that the coaching process is typically applied in the organizational setting has its own purpose: to help the client to achieve a specific result, to attain a goal or to increase self-awareness among others. The process is based on learning and more specifically on learning
the ability to learn. Learning is a continuous never-ending process that leads to our improvement and maturity. The question, driven by the client, is what do they want to learn about.
So, in this context of continuous discovery and learning, is there room for the most important and most serious question that philosophy has asked about the human existence? Since the ancient times of humanity, eastern and western philosophy and most religions have tried to invent answers to this question by creating complex thinking systems, intellectual theories and gods. The existential question ‘why we exist’ still remains unanswered with no obvious options or clues about what ‘purpose of life’ might be
Source: iCN Issue 27 (Using NLP in Coaching); pages 38-40
About Maria Biquet
Maria Biquet is an experienced multilingual Business Consultant and Executive Coach with vast experience from diverse business fields, such as Banking & Financing, Automotive, Telecommunications and Education.
Maria has long experience in Strategic Marketing and in establishing companies in new markets. For more than 20 years she has studied various methodologies for self development and change, including Neuroscience in Coaching, Systemic approach, Appreciative Inquiry Approach, NLP and mindfulness techniques.
She holds a University degree in Language & Linguistics, an MBA-International Marketing and is a Neurocoach certified by the NBG – Harvard School and a Master Coach certified by the CAC.
Vice President of Marketing & Communications of HCA (Hellenic Coaching Association) EMCC Greece, member of the EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council). Works as a volunteer with Non Profit Organisations: Mentor at Orange Grove for startup companies and at Cherie Blair Foundation.
Research project on Ethics in collaboration with EMCC
Works in Greek, English and French.
Email: mariabiquet@gmail.com, Tel.: +30 6944 889526 | www.quantaconsulting.co.za
