For many coaches, one of the most fulfilling aspects is when our client has an insight about themselves or their situation, and witnessing something shift and transform in real time. It’s like a light bulb went off inside of them.
This ‘light bulb moment’ could be indicated by one of the following from your client;
Oh, that’s a great question!
Aaaahhhhhaaaa!
Interesting!
Hmmmm
Wow!
I’ve never thought of it like that before!
Oh, I need to write that down!
Why didn’t I think of this before – it seems so simple!
Perhaps your client becomes quiet and introspective. Or their energy becomes more animated as they experience a change in perspective or a different emotional connection to their situation. There may be changes in facial or body movements. The client energy might seem lighter, or more playful. Different emotions might now be present such as relief, surprise, delight, excitement or happiness.
When awareness is forming, we have an opportunity to support our client in a number of ways. The rest of this article explores some of those ways.
Stay Silent, Present and Listen 
Become attuned to listening and observing the client for when awareness is emerging. Our client might indicate to us through their silence, or through some of the words or phrases I wrote above, that they are ‘unpacking’ something. This is the time for the coach to simply breathe, and say nothing. Let the client begin to form, formulate and articulate what they are thinking, feeling or sensing.
Too often, a coach misses this important moment because they are more present to what they want to say next. The coach is ahead instead of listening and being in the moment where the client is. We can learn to pay attention to cues that the client is unpacking something.
Perhaps the coach mindset could be, “Breathe, Be Curious and Be silent as the client is doing the work!”
This is a moment to ‘shine the spotlight’ on the client, and allow them space to unpack their emerging awareness. If the coach steps into this space by coach asking another question, or interrupting the client, the coach has shifted the ‘spotlight’ to themselves, and the client loses the power of the moment they are in.
Awareness can emerge anytime in a coaching session
One of the delightful mysteries of coaching is you never know which question, or which observation, is going to support your client to have a light bulb moment. Our client can have light bulb moments anytime during the session, including early in the session, sometimes even as an output of clarifying their session focus, topic, outcome, what’s important, or what to address in their ‘gap’ around their area/s of focus for the coaching session.
Our role as coach is to continue to hone our sensing, observing and listening abilities, so we can best serve our client as they articulate their awareness. The client has more self-knowledge than they may first realize!
If the client is still reflective, then it might be good to partner with your client so they can choose, by saying something like, “What do you need in this moment?” Perhaps the client wants to keep exploring their insight. Or maybe already naturally beginning to think about the implications of taking their awareness forward, into action.
Awareness often leads to clarity on actions to take
“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Once our client unpacks their awareness, they often have a transformation of some kind, and instant clarity about what to do next. However, to hurry the client to thinking about actions while their awareness is still forming, may cause them to consider the ‘wrong’ actions. Which is why asking your client what they need, and honoring that with silence and space for the client to again, do the work of formulating whatever they need to.
Once the client has articulated their insight, the coach may acknowledge close to the moment after the client has expressed an insight. This may support the client to take more ownership and self-empowerment for their awareness. For example, “It seems you’ve had some insight and clarity about what do to next. And you just named some things to do next. How do you feel about your insights, and thoughts about actions?”
While it can be good to ask the client about their actions later in the session, it can be good to observe to the client in the moment when they are naming actions and support the client to solidify their awareness into action.
Oftentimes the coach doesn’t need to ask their client what they want to do with their awareness, as the client naturally might say, “Oh, now I know what to do next.”
At ACC skill level, the coach may notice in the moment and acknowledge the client soon after having their lightbulb moment. Moving into PCC skill level and certainly at MCC skill level, the coach ability to be present to the client emerging awareness is more evident. There’s often more for the client to unpack as their awareness is emerging. By acknowledging hearing client awareness, may support client to further explore and unpack their awareness.
Create the conditions for light bulb moments to occur
A light bulb moment is more likely to occur as a result of the client having a listening space that feels safe for the client to express thoughts and feelings they may not have said aloud before. Coaching skills that exemplify this are named in Core Competency #4: Cultivates Trust and Safety. As well as coach ability to maintain their coaching presence and their non-judgmental listening.
Light bulb moments also occur because of the coach masterful use of coaching skills such as outlined in Core Competency #7: Evokes Awareness. This includes an ability to craft and ask mostly open-ended questions which are customized and responsive using client words and concepts. As well as offering comments and observations, without attachment to being right, and inviting the client to respond.
In The Upgraded Target Approach to the ICF Core Competencies, Core Competency #8: Facilitates Client Growth, is an ‘output’ of the coaching process, which is where the client can contrast their progress made from where they began the session. And explore their learning, and how they want to take their learning forward.
In Closing….
For me, the client having insight, gaining clarity and self-empowerment about how they want to move forward, is what the client is paying a professional coach for!
No matter what coaching skill level, (ACC, PCC or MCC), the principle is the same; create conditions of safety for client to express and explore their ‘world’ of thoughts and feelings around their area of focus for the session. When awareness begins to emerge, recognize the moment, be silent and allow the client to do the work. Allow time for the client to formulate their awareness.
Written by Carly Anderson, MCC
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