| We all
have a capacity to learn, grow, and flourish given the appropriate
environment. We all,
however, do not learn in the same way. Some of us may sit down
and read an instruction manual or book before setting off on
an unfamiliar task. Others will, instead, discuss it with colleagues,
friends, or teachers. And there are some who may dive right in
and start the task, getting the feel for it, learning by experimenting.
Some people prefer to work in an office environment, while others
prefer to be on the move, or work in a natural environment. No
one way, or style, is right or wrong. In my many years of coaching experience I have found that
these differences in style reflect the sensory modalities which
are primary to a client. For example, I may have three clients
, a writer, a musician and an artist, for whom it is important
to record there experiences and reflections on coaching exercises
by keeping a journal. I may have one journal in traditional
narrative, another in music, and the other in images, based
on the sensory modalities and learning styles that flow most
easily for them. If I have a client who loves being on the
move with their body or is athletic and is facing a block to
moving forward I use an exercise involving movement to help
them move beyond their block and reach their goal.
It is not difficult to determine which senses we are most
at home with:
- Visual- working with space and shape and color
- Sound- oral/linguistic
- Sound- aural/musical
- Kinesthetic/tactile
- Olifactory- sense of smell
- Taste (Yes, even this sense can
be used as a catalyst in coaching)
Think about people you know and how they describe the same
thing: It doesn't look right; It feels all wrong; That doesn't
ring true.
Unluckily for many of us, our standard
education system has focused on learning using only two styles
of learning. From
early on in our education we are evaluated on how we comprehend
and learn through the use of language and how good we are at
manipulating numbers and logic. While some people's top learning
and conceptual processing styles may be in language and mathematics
(or quantitative processing), these are not the only modes
of learning , processing information, and engaging our environment.
Understanding our own sensory style and learning style, is
crucial for enjoying our daily activities and gaining satisfaction
from our lives and careers.
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MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES AND SENSORY
COACHING™
Howard Gardner,
a Professor of Education at Harvard University, has done
groundbreaking work in developing the theory of
Multiple Intelligences. In his book, "Frames of Mind",
he posits that there are many 'intelligences'---many ways
in which we learn and engage the world around us. The way
in which we engage the world, our jobs, and environments
is partially dependant on what our strongest intelligences
are. Gardner posits the following intelligences:
Linguistic
Musical
Bodily
Kinesthetic
Logical Mathematical
Spatial
Personal
Intelligences
Another, less academic discussion
of multiple intelligences can be found in Thomas Armstrong's "7
Kinds of Smart." As a coach I also may assess both the client's sensory preferences
and multiple intelligences to determine which are the strongest,
and whether their current careers and future plans are in alignment
with these. I use the knowledge of my client's sensory inclinations
and intelligences in helping clients through life transitions,
to careers and lives that take advantage of who they truly
are. Knowing one's strong and weak intelligences also helps
people to understand why they would or wouldn't go in certain
directions, or would delegate certain activities to others.
Do you know what your preferred
sensory style and core intelligences are? If you'd like to
learn more, and investigate coaching
for connecting with these contact us for an introductory coaching
session.
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