10.4 – Adapting the approach to different types of customers

Adapting the approach to different client types is a key skill for any Ikigai Coach. Indeed, every client is unique, with their own needs, preferences, and methods of operating. To provide bespoke and effective support, it is crucial to know how to adjust one’s approach based on the client’s personality, learning style, and context.

Taking into account preferences and learning styles is a first axis of adaptation. Some clients will be more comfortable with an introspective and reflective approach, while others will need a more interactive and experiential dynamic. Some will prefer visual and creative resources, others verbal and analytical exchanges. The Ikigai Coach must be able to detect these preferences and respond to them with flexibility, by varying the tools and support methods.

Imagine a client who expresses a strong appetite for creative and artistic approaches. The Ikigai Coach can then favor exercises such as collage, drawing, or role playing to explore the various facets of their Ikigai.

Adjusting the level of directivity and support is another lever of adaptation. Depending on the client’s degree of autonomy and self-confidence, the Ikigai Coach will need to subtly balance between a directive and non-directive posture. Some clients will need a reassuring framework and assertive guidance, particularly at the start of the journey. Others will be more comfortable with a co-constructive approach and a significant degree of freedom in their exploration. The challenge is finding the right balance between support and challenge, to allow the client to progress at their own pace.

For example, with a client lacking confidence in their ability to achieve their Ikigai, the Ikigai Coach will ensure to reinforce the sense of personal efficiency with encouraging feedback and progressive challenges.

Flexibility in choosing tools and metaphors is another key to adaptation. The Ikigai Coach benefits from drawing on a wide repertoire of tools, in order to suggest approaches that resonate with the client’s mental and cultural universe. Metaphors, analogies, and examples will be more meaningful if they reflect the client’s interests and experiences. This adaptation necessitates attentive listening and a genuine curiosity about the client’s world.

Imagine a client passionate about gardening. The Ikigai Coach could carry on the garden metaphor throughout the support, encouraging the client to “plant the seeds” of their Ikigai, “water” their projects, and “harvest” the fruit of their fulfilment.

Sensitivity to cultural, generational, and personality differences is a final essential adaptation factor. The Ikigai Coach should be attentive to the cultural specifics that can influence the relationship with work, family, or success. They should also take into account generational challenges, which shape the aspirations and difficulties of each age group. Finally, they should demonstrate empathy and flexibility in the face of various personality types, by adjusting their communication and posture accordingly.

For example, with a client from a culture where collective harmony is valued over individual achievement, the Ikigai Coach will aim to explore ways to reconcile personal Ikigai and contribution to the common good.

By cultivating this capacity for adaptation, the Ikigai Coach demonstrates their professionalism and commitment to the success of each client. They create the conditions for personalized support, where the client feels understood, valued, and supported in their uniqueness. This adaptability is at the heart of the Ikigai Coach’s posture, who becomes a benevolent chameleon to best serve each individual’s journey toward their Ikigai.

Key Points to Remember:

– Adapting the approach to different client types is a key skill for any Ikigai Coach, allowing for customized and effective assistance.

– Considering preferences and learning styles is essential, by varying the tools and support methods (introspective approaches, interactive approaches, visual aids, verbal exchanges, and so forth).

– Adjusting the level of directivity and support allows one to cater to the client’s degree of autonomy and self-confidence, by balancing between a directive and non-directive posture.

– Flexibility in choosing tools and metaphors makes it possible to suggest approaches that resonate with the client’s mental and cultural universe.

– Sensitivity to cultural, generational, and personality differences is critical to adapt one’s communication and posture accordingly.

– By cultivating this capacity for adaptation, the Ikigai Coach creates the conditions for personalized support, where the client feels understood, valued, and supported in their uniqueness.