Elaine Lou Cartas, MS, PCC

Think about when you've been at meetings and you've seen arguments. Who were certain people that were able to share their argument and still be respected by others who had opposing viewpoints? See what made them effective. When I think about people who effectively structure their arguments I think about my old boss who was able to go to any meeting share her perspective and still be respected when her perspective was different from others. I learned a lot from her by observing.

The claim-evidence reasoning framework is also known as the sandwich technique. Think of the first sentence as your thesis statement, "We should not continue doing this project." I start with "we" so that the other individual or party doesn't feel attacked. And then share specific evidence, "We already lost $1 million, and we have employees experiencing burnout." Another thing I would add is to provide a solution, "Instead of continuing the project this way, we should do it this way where we save $x and employees aren't burned out." By providing a solution you are showing you are a team player.

It's great to start your blogs as a question. I remember starting one blog asking, "How many of you are grateful for your ex?" I then kept writing saying, "We are grateful because we learn about what we need to work on and improve upon." This makes you relatable to your audience.

As AI becomes bigger, you stand out more with storytelling. You will want to use the hero story of sharing struggles and defeats to how the individual was able to overcome it and how it is possible for the other person. We see this in all Disney movies. For example, I recently shared a blog on my webpage on how to find a new job. To relate to my readers, I said I was fired 3x and quit 2 jobs with no savings. I then shared the tools on how I overcame it. This creates creadibility and trust for my readers.

I realized that some of my clients didn't feel comfortable sharing things in a group setting on zoom when it was being recorded, so I would ask my clients if they prefer a call not being recorded. After receiving feedback, now I remind my clients they can let me or one of my coaches know to stop or pause recording during their turn.

Prior to asking I let my clients know that my main priority is to best serve my clients and feedback allows me to be better. Here are some questions I ask: - What did you enjoy the most about our coaching together? - What can I do more of? - What can I do less of? - How can I better support your goals and challenges?