| "Try to be simple in everything. Drop all complexities | | | | - Starts telling his story but as he talks, he forgets |
| and then many things will follow spontaneously. If you | | | | where he is coming from, |
| are simple you cannot lie because a lie can never be | | | | - Tells about many things but gives no answer to the |
| simple; it has to be complicated. The very nature of a | | | | question, |
| lie has to be complex. Only truth can be simple." -Osho | | | | - Adds irrelevant details to the story, |
| The dictionary meaning of "simple" is easy to | | | | - Keeps repeating himself. |
| understand, plain without anything extra or | | | | In these cases the coach might interrupt the client |
| unnecessary. | | | | politely, focusing on the need of using the time more |
| Think of two identical rooms. One is full of furniture and | | | | efficiently. Then the coach might: |
| the other is simple, having just a few objects. If you | | | | - Ask the client to summarize the whole story in one |
| have lost something in these rooms, in which room will | | | | sentence. |
| it take you less time to complete your search and find | | | | - Ask the client to group the problems, |
| what you are looking for? | | | | - Ask the client "What is the question whose answer |
| Imagine that our minds resemble a room. When we | | | | you are looking for?" |
| chose to talk simple, without anything extra or | | | | - Speed up the client by asking "So, what is the |
| unnecessary, we cleanse our mind. Then, we can | | | | conclusion?" |
| easily find what we are looking for. The solution will be | | | | - Ask the client to summarize by saying: "So, what do |
| easily visible. Simplicity and focus require sacrifice - the | | | | you see here?" |
| sacrifice of all the other things you could be saying. | | | | - Identify the similar patterns in the story and reflect it |
| Simple is good because it is hard to miss. | | | | to the client, |
| Choosing simplicity in our talk, gives us clarity and it is | | | | - Try to identify the real feelings and the needs of the |
| also time saving. | | | | client. |
| So, when do we create complexity? Mainly in two | | | | Imagine that the client is lost and trying to orientate |
| situations: | | | | himself in life. He is trying to find the answers to the |
| - When we cannot see the solution because of our | | | | questions "Where am I now? Where do I want to go |
| thinking habits: Some people are lost in the details and | | | | from here?" He is looking at the Google maps and his |
| do not know how to think simple. | | | | zoom level is 18 where he sees himself stuck |
| - When we do not want to see the solution: We avoid | | | | between the buildings and the streets. He does not |
| seeing the reality and live in denial out of fear. We | | | | even know which city he is in. |
| might be escaping from the reality. Simplicity breaks | | | | The coach's first duty here is to lead the client to |
| this denial, clears the unnecessary and helps us to see | | | | zoom out and help him identify where he is. When the |
| the things from a different perspective. | | | | client zooms out, if he is familiar with the environment, |
| When we miss the big picture and focus on the details | | | | then he can locate himself, which city he is in. If he is |
| of the problem, we create complexity. As a result, we | | | | not familiar, then keep zooming out till he sees the |
| get lost. We forget our priorities. We miss to see the | | | | planet as a dot. He is now focused to the big picture. |
| simple solution. | | | | At this time, the client's an-hour-long-story is cut to a |
| In one of the books of the Adventures of Tintin series, | | | | single sentence. Also, since he knows where he is |
| Captain Haddock finds himself face to face with his | | | | now, he is at a point to choose where to go from |
| old enemy Captain Allan. Allan has the Haddock locked | | | | here. |
| in a cabin overnight, and leaves him with a question to | | | | Below, you will see different client talks on different |
| ponder: "Do you sleep with your beard under or over | | | | zoom levels. Please read each case, from top to |
| the cover?" Wrangling over the question leaves | | | | bottom. |
| Captain, as his enemy predicted, unable to sleep. After | | | | Client Talk Case 1 |
| long hours, he finally falls asleep when he realizes that | | | | Zoom Level 3 - (Story phase - Complexity) |
| it is a summer night and there is no need to use a | | | | She said bla-bla, I said bla-bla. She said bla-bla, I said |
| cover. | | | | bla-bla. |
| As above, if we miss the big picture, we create | | | | Zoom Level 2 - (Grouping phase - Clarity) |
| complexity and find ourselves in a hard-to-solve puzzle. | | | | I am angry with her/him. |
| Captain managed to relieve after he changed his | | | | Zoom Level 1 - (Reality phase - Simplicity) |
| zoom level. He looked at the situation from a higher | | | | I am angry with someone. |
| perspective: "Do I need it?" | | | | Client Talk Case 2 |
| There are many times in our lives when we miss to | | | | Zoom Level 3 - (Story phase - Complexity) |
| see a simple solution. | | | | This happened, that happened, this happened, etc. |
| Sometimes, people ask us yes-no questions. We | | | | Zoom Level 2 - (Grouping phase - Clarity) |
| make huge explanations and at the end, we even | | | | Many things happened. |
| forget to give an answer. We develop habits for doing | | | | Zoom Level 1 - (Reality phase - Simplicity) |
| something. Then we hardly challenge or question that | | | | I am confused. (or) I am hurt. (or) I am tired. |
| habit if we can do it in a simpler way. | | | | The more you change the zoom level of the client, the |
| As Albert Einstein said, "Anyone who really | | | | more he gets out of the story where he is stuck. The |
| understands his work should be able to explain it to an | | | | aim here is to change the zoom level as much as |
| eight-year-old". The opposite is also true, if the client is | | | | possible so that the client is free from all the prejudice |
| able to tell "his story" to an eight year old, it means that | | | | coming from the event or the person in the story. For |
| he has a clear understanding of what is going on. The | | | | instance, if the client sees the situation as "I am angry |
| simpler it is, the more understandable it becomes for | | | | with someone" instead of "I am angry with her", then |
| the client himself as well. | | | | he can take a less prejudiced action. |
| As Edward de Bono said, "Dealing with complexity is | | | | During the coaching session, it is not only the client |
| an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention | | | | whom you ask a question. When you start asking |
| and mental energy. There is never any justification for | | | | yourself "What is the client telling me?" you start |
| things being complex when they could be simple". | | | | changing your zoom level as well as the client's. This |
| A coaching session during which we encourage | | | | question will bring simplicity to the session. |
| simplicity becomes time efficient. It consumes less | | | | When you reach Zoom Level 1, the point of simplicity, |
| mental energy and brings clarity for both parties. It | | | | you can ask the client a call-to-action question. This will |
| helps the coach to create more "Aha!" moments for | | | | help the client to identify the direction of the next |
| the client. | | | | move. For instance, "What can you do when you are |
| Creating simplicity for the client | | | | angry with someone?" As a coach, you can even |
| The client creates complexity when he: | | | | create an action plan with the client from this point. |