Creating structures

What is the importance of using and creating structure?

How to relate and adapt structures to Coaching?

How to define a structure?

The vision and definition of the word, including its meaning, can be extensive. I like to say that a structure is a process, a guideline, a compilation of resources. 

We use the term in construction. It is the base to hold an edifice. Without any structure, the building would not stand. 

It is a frame that helps developing something more significant, a final object, program, or idea. 

You can consider different structures; some abstract such as IT, coding is a structure for software. In music, it is a partition for a melody, a succession of notes and symbols that build a base to follow, to create a sequence of sounds. It can be DNA if we think about the human body, or it can be something concrete, such as the skeleton that allows making a body be a whole complete self. 

It can be the woodwork for a house on which we place the tiles for creating a roof. 

In the different types of structures, we can identify many as we daily use. Here are a few that I am aware of :

1. Sleep and wake up Routine
2. Calendar planning and organization 
3. School and learning process 
4. Work Hierarchies
5. IT structure with software and apps 
6. Political system
7. Religion or cult 
8. Family 
9. Workout program 
10. Health prevention plan 
11. etc…

Which one can we use in Coaching, and how can we use it? 

I think that the Coach can use a structure for many things, and it is essential to create trust.

There is no fit all, but some bases adapted to each individual. It is essential to adjust the layout to your client’s needs and combine different ones. It is most unusual that only one would be enough to complete the process. 

Usually, when difficulties come into our lives, we need the most to rely on a solid structure. But should we rely so much on it that we are lost when we do not have any?

What if the structure you lean on, or rely on, is not strong enough and collapses, such as family or Marriage? Or When an outside factor such as Covid and the pandemic destroys it. 

How do you react, and what can you do to avoid losing control?

The coach’s role is to help the client find a balance and recognize structure abuse patterns or overuse that could not be beneficial. It is to prepare the client to be flexible in the system to have better adaptability, especially during transition.

One should be able to modify their structure without having to rebuild it from scratch. Especially in transition, Having a guide or frame to follow is fundamental. When one is looking for an answer and encounters challenges, its need becomes bigger. It helps on the process, creating steps in action, and keeping the client accountable for moving forward.

How to validate a structure to define its efficiency?

As it plays a crucial role in our life, what would be a world without it?

Before validating and defining its efficiency, the coach needs to help the client be aware of the different structures he has to his availability and choose the one he can use for reaching his particular goal. Some actions are so automatic daily that we do not identify them as a powerful frame, but it allows us to link together the intent and steps to reach the goal.

Before creating structure, comes the process of creating awareness. As we can see the awareness is a common point for coaching in so many different subjects. By recognizing the need for a structure, or the inefficiency of the one we are using, we give our clients the perspective of changes and creating different plans to reach their goals. 

What if you could give our clients the possibility to replace the structures that are not working? What would be the impact on their lives?

• Get better productivity
• Reduction of stress 
• better balance between different activities 
• Better time management
• Reduction of frustration 
• Better communication
• etc

As coaches, we follow a model, which is our structure, allowing us to communicate our philosophy and actions with the client.