HyperStrike-Partners

Helping Clients Move From "I May" to "I Will".

Most of our clients come to us ready for change. They have identified the behavior they wish to adopt and our role is to facilitate the action. When a client is still thinking about change, our approach needs to shift from activities of doing the behavior to fostering deeper examining of the issue. Our purpose is to promote client movement from the “I May” to “I Will” stage of change.  

Five Stages of Change  

When coaching clients through the stages of change, it is important to identify and understand which stage your client is in. There are five stages of change, each requiring different approaches.  

1. Precontemplation - not ready for change “I Won’t” or “I Can’t”
2. Contemplation – thinking about change “I May”
3. Preparation – preparing for action “I Will”
4. Action – taking action “I Am”
5. Maintenance – maintaining the behavior “I Still Am”

 

Contemplation Stage – Self Discovery  

People in the contemplation stage are in the process of considering change. This is a time of self-discovery and information gathering. The appropriate coaching skills should:  

1. Help clients discover their strengths, what motivates them and gets them excited about change.
2. Help clients connect their values to the new behavior.
3. Help clients understand the positives and negatives of maintaining the old behavior and of changing it.
4. Help clients identify barriers to change and find solutions.

 

To move clients from the contemplation stage to preparation and then to action, we will need to help them develop strong motivators, a solid understanding of their challenges, and possible solutions to obstacles. The coaching activities should be motivating, supportive and provide opportunities to connect with the new behavior. Rather than asking clients to attempt the new behavior, encourage them to talk, listen, read, think, discover, and then decide.   

Coaching Activities for Contemplation Stage 

• Journaling - encourage clients to keep a journal to identify situations that support the new behavior and record the journey.
• Decisional Balance Work Sheet - encourage clients to explore the pros and cons of both not changing and changing the behavior.
• Encourage clients to watch movies and read books about other people with the target behavior.
• Encourage clients to imagine what it would be like after changing the target behavior.
• Encourage clients to create a new, positive self-image.
• Coping plans - encourage clients to brainstorm to identify possible obstacles and create solutions.

 
 

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education  

Reference:

Fahey, T.D., Insel, P.M., & Roth, W.T. 2009. Fit & Well. M. Ryan (ED.), Introduction to wellness,

      fitness, and lifestyle management (pp. 14). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Moore, M., & Tschannen-Morean, B. 2010. Coaching psychology manual. In E. Lupash (ED.),  Coaching relationship skills (pp. 22-24). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.  
 

Six Dimensions In Workplace Job Burnout

Jane found herself going to bed earlier and earlier, but still feeling exhausted the next day. She seems to have lost her enthusiasm and energy for her work and finds herself playing hours of computerized games and thinking seriously about mid day naps. She noticed her normal level of empathy and tolerance waning and she feels irritated most of the time. She generally does not feel good about herself, doubts her ability to help her clients and questions whether or not she is in the right profession. Jane is experiencing the syndrome of Job Burnout.  

According to Christiana Maslach, one of the worlds leading experts on job burnout, there are three inter-related dimensions of the syndrome: exhaustion, cynicism, and negative self-evaluation. How detrimental to our wellbeing is job burnout? Although Maslach’s research found that job burnout in itself is not depression, it can be considered a precursor to depression. If the stress and strain resulting in job burnout are not addressed, depression could result. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the syndrome, the resulting depression extends beyond the work environment to encompass the person’s entire life.  

Maslach’s research suggests the cause of job burnout is a disparity between the workplace and the individual, which results in frustration, dissatisfaction, exhaustion and unhealthy levels of stress. According to Maslach, there are six dimensions of the work environment that effect how people engage with their jobs.  

The six Dimensions of Job Burnout  

1. Workload – a chronic situation of too much work and not enough resources resulting in feeling overwhelmed. If not relieved, chronic work overload could develop into exhaustion.
2. Control – not feeling a reasonable amount of control over an individual’s work or the resources necessary to perform the job, not having a clear understanding of who is in charge of making decisions and who is accountable for what, or not having sufficient authority can result in high levels of stress and frustration.
3. Reward and recognition – receiving feedback about work establishes a sense of job progress. Recognition and reward provides value to the individual’s work, where as lack of appreciation and positive re-enforcement are associated with feelings of being devalued and ineffective.
4. Community – the social support of a work community reaffirms an individual’s feelings of belonging and a shared sense of values. Unresolved conflict destroys the balance of community and may develop into anger and hostility and generate high levels of stress.
5. Fairness – the perception that one is being treated with mutual respect and equality within the work community. The sense of unfairness can result in hostility and cynicism, as well as negative feelings and exhaustion.   
6. Values – feelings of being caught between conflicting values within the organization, perceiving jobs tasks as unethical, or a disconnect between personal and workplace values can result in job burnout, even if the other five dimensions are in balance.

 

When there is a positive balance between the individual and these six dimensions; job burnout can be reduced or prevented. For more information about job burnout, check out the article: Job Engagement; Christina Maslach – How to prevent burnout

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn5305/is_20050407/ai_n24914797/?tag=content;col1

Exploring Career Options

Have you ever wondered what other career options there might be in the field of kinesiology? Have you considered a career in public health or sports medicine, however are not sure if it’s the right fit for you? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is offering a unique opportunity to here from the experts in a new Career Spotlight Webinar series. The series will provide valuable information about potential careers in sports medicine and exercise science from the best in the business and it will be offered FREE to ACSM students and student alliance members.  

The next Career Spotlight Webinar, scheduled for September 22, 2009, will feature Angela Smith, MD, FACSM discussing Careers in Orthopedic Surgery. Doctor Smith is the Attending Surgeon and Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her special interests include sports medicine and fitness for children, adolescents and young adults, as well as sport medicine for figure skating, dance, and gymnastics. Dr. Smith’s research interests are body alignment and injuries of competitive figure skaters.  

October 13, 2009 will feature Steve Blair, P.E.D., FACSM discussing Careers in Exercise Epidemiology. Doctor Blair, past-president of the ACSM National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, did his post-doctoral work in preventive cardiology at Stanford University, has earned advanced degrees in physical education, and completed his undergraduate studies in physical education and biology. His research focuses on the association between exercise, physical fitness, body composition and disease, He has received several prestigious awards for his work, including being one of few outside of the U.S. Public Health Service to be awarded the Surgeon General’s Medallion.  
 

To learn more about the fields of Orthopedic Surgery and Exercise Epidemiology from these outstanding professionals, check out ACSM Available Events: http://www.acsm.org/source/Meetings/cMeetingProcessSearch.cfm?Section=Register&zbrandid=399&zidType=CH&zid=3397719&zsubscriberId=73785616 

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education

NSCA Webinar

NSCA Webinar: Testing Essentials for Strength & Conditioning Professionals.  

Whether you need to accumulate continuing education units, want to keep up with the latest training methods or interested in current research findings, webinars are a convenient and cost effective approach to professional development. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is offering an interesting webinar on September 16, 2009: Testing Essentials for Strength & Conditioning Professionals.  

This one-hour presentation will provide strength and conditioning professionals with the tools necessary to select, administer, and evaluate the tests used to increase athletic performance. Topics will include body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, power, agility, and running speed, as well as sport specific assessment. This presentation sounds like a must for professionals working with a sport specific population or interested in strength and conditioning assessments.  

Presenter: Frank Spaniol, Ed.D., CSCS, *D, FNSCA.

According to the biography provided on the NSCA website, Frank Spaniol is a Professor of Kinesiology at Texas A & M University where he instructs testing and measurements and research design, as well as directs the biomechanics laboratory. Between the years 1989 and 1995, Doctor Spaniol served as Head Baseball Coach at Morehead State University and currently chairs the Executive Council of the NSCA Baseball SIG. His research interest is in sport performance and he is noted for numerous publications and presentations in this area.  

For more information about this webinar check out the NSCA website at: https://nsca.webex.com/mw0305l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=nsca 

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education

Positioning Ourselves for Career Advancement

Before signing up for the next set of continuing education units consider the following questions: what are my interests, what aspect of my work is most important to me, what are my strengths and weaknesses, what is my competitive advantage, what do I want my career to look like 5 years from now? When I think of professional development several concepts come to mind, such as improvement, lifelong learning, enhancing current skills, acquiring new skills, and bridging the gap between where I am and where I want to be. The definition provided by Wikipedia sums up these ideas “professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement.” 

Personal Development 

Personal development by nature is personal, and therefore will have a different meaning for each of us. While researching personal development I came across Steve Pavlina’s (a motivational speaker) website where he relates personal development to being completely responsible for your health, career, finances, relationships, emotions, and guiding beliefs. He went on to say that the goal of personal development is to achieve outstanding effectiveness while maintaining life balance and that the combination of our knowledge, skills, actions, and beliefs work together to create our desired life (Pavlina, 2009). Isn’t this the message we send to our clients? Take responsibility through healthy lifestyle behaviors. When I think about taking complete responsibility for my life, I feel empowered. I am ready to examine who I am, where I am going and how I am going to get there.  

Career Advancement  

Career advancement in the health and fitness industry is not always clearly defined. According the IHRSA article: Ins, Outs: The Future of Fitness, there are several growth opportunities for health and fitness professionals interested in expanding the scope of their careers with specialized programs and adjunct services. Image yourself with the skills and knowledge to work with special populations, such as individuals with cancer, or offering your clients the additional benefits of massage after a training session. Professional development provides opportunities for greater career diversity and variety within your day. To make professional development more rewarding, look for opportunities that are exciting and inspiring.   

If you are interested in Brain Health, the American Society on Aging and SharpBrains are co-presenting a professional development day for professionals interested in healthy aging. Friday, September 11^th 2009, during the ASA’s West Coast Conference on Aging at the Oakland Marriot City Center in Oakland California.  For more information and how to register visit http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/category/professional-development/ 

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education  

Reference:

IHRSA Industry News, 2009. Ins, Outs: The Future of Fitness. 

Pavlina, S. 2009. Personal Development for Smart People.

Wikipedia, 2009. Professional development.

Client Retention - Keep 'em Coming Back!

Client Retention: Three Reasons Clients Keep Coming Back 

During a recent conversation with a client, she described her pervious experience and dissatisfaction with personal trainers. She recounted how the trainers would put her on a treadmill and walk away to converse with their friends. When she expressed discomfort or mentioned an aliment, she felt her concerns were ignored or not taken seriously, and frequently she was put through a workout that made her feel sick, inadequate and sore for days afterword. Unfortunately, she is not the first client to share these or similar experiences with me.

There are three things I consistently hear from clients about why they keep coming back: their concerns are listened to and taken seriously, they have the trainers complete attention throughout the session, and they feel challenged yet successful with the activities.  

1) Listening to Client Concerns - just before your client session begins, you review the file and plan the workout based on the client’s goals and the pervious training sessions, however your client is sleep deprived from a business trip and experiencing some low back discomfort.   

Previous Experience

According to several clients I have spoken with, the trainer would nod or worse ignore the client and proceed with the planned workout. The trainer did not consider if the planned activity was too demanding or met the client’s current needs for that session. 

Client Retention Experience

Using active listening skills, the trainer makes eye contact and nod empathically while listening to the client’s concerns. This would be followed with the trainer summarizing what the client said and an opportunity for the client to clarify and elaborate on certain points. After the client has completely finished, the trainer might say “based on what you are telling me, I would like to focus on some low impact aerobic training and flexibility exercises today. How does that sound to you?” Two situations occur with this type of response; 1) the client feels they have heard, understood and taken seriously, and 2) the client is part of the process and their input to the session is valued.  

2) Attention on the Client – You greet your client and walk them over to the treadmill and suggest a 5 to 10 minute warm-up, or use the last 15-20 minute of a session for aerobic training on the treadmill.  

Previous Experience

More than one client has mentioned being put on the treadmill while the trainer walks away to chat with colleagues. The clients experience is that the trainer is bored and doesn’t truly care about them.  

Client Retention Experience

Warm up activities are a great opportunity to find out how the client is feeling, what issues or concerns they may be dealing with and how their goals are progressing. End of the session endurance training is a great time to check in with the client about how they thought the session went, where they felt strongest and where they would like to improve. Many times short-term goals can be derived from this type of discussion, which can be used to increase the client’s motivation while working toward long- term goals.

3) Feeling Challenged and Successful – feeling exhilarated and empowered after successfully meeting a physical challenge motivates clients to do more. However, feeling incompetent and beaten down usually results in the client dreading each session and eventually quitting.  

Previous Experience

I recall one client recounting how she felt the trainer was disappointed with her because she was not capable of the executing the exercises correctly. The sessions became increasingly brutal and she left each session feeling defeated and sore for days.  

Client Retention Experience

Understanding each clients strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes will go along way in developing an appropriate exercise program with adequate challenge and proper progression. A fitness assessment is one method to gain this information. Not only can fitness assessments be used to develop an appropriate training program, but can also be used to establish goals and chart progress. Hyperstrike offers the FITScore tool for a general assessment of your clients’ current fitness level.  

To increase client retention, focus on the client experience during each session through these three key ideas; listening, focused attention, and success.  

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education