Coaching and Late Onset Hearing Loss - A Partnership
that Works - Part 2
Presented by Norma Svedosh and Homer Mullins
Norma is a licensed social worker and Homer is a retired attorney. They
founded a company called Odyssey Hearing Solutions, which provides support
for people with late-onset hearing loss.
This is part two of three parts.
For more coverage of this great convention, please point your browser
to http://www.hearinglossweb.com/res/hlorg/alda/cn/2006/2006.htm
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Part One
Part Three
Norma Svedosh
The coaching model we use is really pretty good about covering the
various aspects of coaching. Coaching is a collaboration between a coach
and a client. We use a graphic which consists of four areas.
1. A blue frame on the outside.
2. A green square within the blue square.
3. A yellow circle within the green square.
4. A red triangle within the yellow circle.
The blue frame around the outside is the partnership. Everything that
happens is a result of that partnership. The red triangle in the middle is
the client's change. The goal is to help the client change.
The client is the one who drives the agenda. The coaching is in
response to the client's needs. Many different techniques are used to
accomplish the change.
The green square shows the various techniques that are repeated in
cyclic fashion: strategies, results, actions, and questions.
The three areas in the yellow circle are the core components of how a
coach works with the client: identity, structure, and empowerment.
First is the identity. Dr. Miller eloquently described her identity
struggles at yesterday's lunch.
One of the first things we like to do is have people describe
themselves. Let's do an exercise. Everyone take out a piece of paper and
write down ten attributes that describe who are you and how you see
yourself. These are keys to your identity.
The structure part addresses what is in your life and how things can be
changed or adapted to help you adjust to your hearing loss.
The empowerment piece reflects the fact that a coach encourages a
person to empower themselves to make change and accomplish what they want
to do.
How coaching is done
Coaching is very distinct from therapy or counseling. It deals very
specifically with the here and now, and focuses on helping people achieve
what they want to accomplish. It includes elements to hold people
accountable for what they say they will do. If a person sets a goal for
himself, we will discuss how to accomplish the goal and what steps they
will take.
We do coaching on an individual basis and in groups. Most coaching is
done by telephone, so we coach people all over the country and the world.
A lot of the follow-up is done by email or over the phone.
One instrument we use with a lot of clients is called the wheel of
life. We'll walk you through it and encourage you to take part in the
discovery process. We use this tool to see how much balance is in your
life and to work on things to bring more congruence to your life.
The wheel of life is a circle divided into eight parts, much like pie
slices. The eight areas are career, money, health, friends and family,
significant other/romance, personal growth, fun and recreation, and
physical environment.
Lets start with "career". Please think about your career and
how you would rate your satisfaction with your career. Please rate it from
0 to 10, where 0 is very dissatisfied, and 10 is very satisfied.
Next is money. Are you satisfied with where you are financially in your
life? Again, rate that dimension on the scale of 0 to 10.
Another facet is health (physical and mental). Are there things you
need to work on?
Fun and recreation - do you have fun in your life? Do your experience
joy and pleasure? Do you do relaxing and recreational things?
Romance/significant other - Do you have a satisfying connection with a
life partner?
Physical environment - this includes where you live (your home). Can
you relax there? Do you feel a sense of comfort and permanence? Also
consider other places where you spend your time, like work.
Family and friends - Consider the connectedness in your life. How would
you access these relationships? Are they harmonious, or are they sources
of stress in your life?
Part One
Part Three
