6 years ago, some coaches from Europe invited coaches to a world of avatars and virtual scenarios for an immersive experience. Art and technology were still evolving, and the word metaverse had not been manufactured. 6 years down the line, metaverses such as VR, AR, and AI are amongst many unreal technology realities. The art form is yet to evolve.
Experts quibble about whether AI is a metaverse or a metaverse enabler. Let them. Having used ChatGPT 3.5 for generating conversations, I find that enabling prompts can produce high-level coaching conversations involving metaphors, somatics, visualization, etc. exploring clients’ belief systems. AI may not be capable of emotions, yet it can explore emotions. A master coach is one who can stay disengaged yet empathetic in exploring emotions.
Avatars, Scenarios, and Games can all be metaverse enablers supporting reflection, visualization, and exploration in coaching with AI or natural intelligence support. Some of the areas one can use metaverse techniques in coaching can be physical fitness, meditation, language learning, cross-cultural adjustments, etc. Techniques can be adapted to executive coaching using scenarios for conflict resolution, decision-making, creating empathy, interpersonal relationships, etc.
Advances in AI and integration with metaverse tools such as VR, AR, etc would determine how far and how soon these possibilities become practical. Equipment like headsets, glasses, and consoles, used mostly for gaming, are expensive if they are to be used with human coach resources skilled in their deployment. However, when AI-enabled metaverse applications become less expensive and easier to use, they would be attractive options for human coaching in some areas.
Letting imagination loose, one can see how guided meditation visualization using somatic exploration can be extremely powerful in coaching and even in therapy. How much worse can it be than a patient lying down and downloading their issues not knowing if the coach or therapist are listening? The patient can outline their cases and AI can configure scenarios related to their cases. The process of coaching is about evoking awareness. These metaverse applications can do that very well. They can also be quite dynamic as the client awareness increases adapting to the new levels of awareness created. Connected to the internet, they can download millions of relevant cases to derive from than any human can. Possibilities as many already feel are scary.
AI-enabled Metaverse applications can be more powerful than human minds in creating scenarios unfettered by conditioned limiting beliefs and guided by aspirational values. AI Metaverse is non-judgmental, except for the human prompts. Such scenarios using prompts for metaphors and stories as in Clean language models can help explore and reframe any transactional cognitive human coach exploration, often guided by a list of canned powerful questions.
My prompt:
In a coaching context how can a Coach respond to an answer from the client ‘I don’t know.’
Metaverse response
As a coach, there are several ways to respond to a client who says “I don’t know” in a coaching context. Here are some suggestions:
- Validate the client’s response: Let the client know that it’s okay to not know the answer to a question. You could say something like, “It’s okay if you don’t know the answer right now. That’s why we’re here to explore and uncover what’s important to you.”
- Ask open-ended questions: Ask the client open-ended questions that can help them dig deeper into their thoughts and feelings. For example, you could ask, “What thoughts come up for you when you hear this question?” or “What feelings do you have about this situation?”
- Reflect back to the client: Repeat back what the client has said and ask if your understanding is accurate. This can help the client feel heard and understood. For example, you could say, “So what I’m hearing is that you’re not sure what direction to take next. Is that accurate?”
- Explore the “I don’t know” response: Ask the client about their relationship with uncertainty and the phrase “I don’t know.” This can help them become more aware of any limiting beliefs or fears that may be holding them back. For example, you could ask, “What does it mean to you when you say ‘I don’t know’?”
- Use visualization or other creative techniques: Use creative techniques such as visualization or brainstorming to help the client access their inner wisdom and come up with answers. For example, you could ask the client to visualize a future scenario where they have already found the answer they are looking for and ask them to describe it in detail. Remember, as a coach, it’s important to create a safe and supportive space for the client to explore their thoughts and feelings. Be patient and compassionate, and trust that the client has the answers within themselves.
I am not sure if any master coach can do better.
