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June 21, 2010

Wait Time for the Coach

In Cognitive Coaching^SM, we are reminded that there are three types of wait time. Wait Time 3 is for the coach. If you are really listening to someone, you cannot be crafting paraphrases and questions at the same time. Or can you?

According to "Motivated Multitasking", humans can hold two goals in their frontopolar cortex simultaneously, likely an ability totally unique to the species. But don't draw conclusions too quickly. The research goes ahead to say that while we can hold two goals in mind, we cannot actually execute two tasks at the same time. Instead, the brain tends to quickly jump back and forth between the two activities, literally postponing one while executing the other. And when performing such multi-tasking, both tasks tend to suffer.¹

So, as a coach, give your coachees and yourself the gift of Wait Time 3. If you are really fully listening, then, during that wait time, the questions and paraphrases will come to you as you let your mind focus on that one single task:

• How much wait time do you give yourself as a coach?
   
• What are some of the potential benefits that could be gained by increasing your wait time?
   
• What might it take for you to give yourself that wait time you need?
   

¹ "Motivated Multitasking: How the Brain Keeps Tabs on Two Tasks at Once." (2010). Scientific American. Retrieved May 17, 2010, from http://scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=multitasking-two-tasks&sc=WR_20100427 (new window).