Evaluation of the current nutrition situation

Ways to evaluate the current situation

Once the goals have been defined, it is necessary to understand the situation in its full dimension, following the criterion of objectivity. Objectivity is difficult to achieve, since it can be distorted by the opinions, expectations, interests, prejudices and fears of the person observing. Absolute objectivity does not exist, but it can be approached.

To this end, evaluative terminology should be used instead of evaluative language and the client should be encouraged to do so, increasing impartiality and reducing unfounded prejudices and counterproductive self-criticism. Therefore, words should be specific and descriptive.

It is good to consider the coach's way of examining the current situation, through dialogue and observation.

If the coach only asks questions and receives answers from a normal level of awareness, he/she helps the coachee to structure his/her thoughts, whereas if he/she accesses deeper levels of awareness, the coach stops to think in order to answer when he/she is developing his/her awareness.

When starting to ask questions, the coach should follow the coachee's train of thought, and if he wants to raise something that he thinks the client has omitted, he should do so when the client has finished explaining all aspects of the problem. It may also happen that the coachee deviates from the topic, in which case you can ask a question such as: How does this relate to the topic?

Following the coachee's sequence shows that we respect the coachee's interests and needs.

For example, in the business world, if a manager wants to correct a situation in some department of the company, if he starts by just talking about the problem, it is possible that the subordinate will become defensive and this will lead him to misrepresent the problem or make it seem less serious.

Otherwise, the subordinate will begin to see the manager as supportive rather than threatening, so he or she is more willing to raise the problem:

• Requiring an answer to the question posed is essential to force the coachee to think, examine, look, feel, feel, and engage.

• It is necessary to ask questions with a high level of precision to obtain a detailed answer.

• Answers about reality should be descriptive and not evaluative, this ensures honesty and accuracy.

• The answers should be of sufficient quality and frequency to provide the coach with a constant flow of information.

As for the linguistic aspect, the questions should start if possible in these terms: "What, When, Who, Where, Where, How much", since these questions point to the facts and therefore the answers will be more objective. Questions such as: "How, Why" should only be used if there is no other choice, since the derived answers lead to analysis and personal opinion.

In the dialogue about the current situation, the coach should be attentive, listen and observe to discover clues and manage the questioning in the coachee's awareness.

Some examples of questions the coach can ask are:

• What is the present situation in detail?

• What is really the problem here, the crux of the matter?

• What is your biggest concern about it?

• Who will be affected by this problem besides you?

• How much personal control do you have over the outcome?

Sometimes the coach doesn't even have to know the whole story about the situation to arrive at a solution to the problem, but to be sure that the coachee fully understands it.

Questions aimed at exploring emotions

The coach should attend to the emotional aspect of the coachee and try to make him/her aware of his/her emotions, as they are an essential aspect in interpersonal problems. To explore emotions, questions such as the following are suggested:

• How do you feel about this problem?

• What do you feel when you solve a problem or difficult situation?

• What emotions did you experience the last time you had a similar problem?

• What helped you feel better?

• What emotions did you experience the last time you met your goals?

• Could you rate your confidence level (from 1 to 10) in meeting your goals or solving the problem?

Most frequent irrational beliefs

It is also important at this point to inquire about the thoughts and attitudes that the coachee has about his or her situation. Each person has beliefs that are forged since childhood, without even having conscious access to them, which influence the perception of reality and relationships with other people and the world.

Many of these beliefs are irrational and can distort the way we see reality. If we do not compensate for their effects, they can be an obstacle to performance and even produce emotional discomfort.

Most common irrational beliefs:

• Dichotomous thinking or polarization: This is the belief that everything can be classified into one or two opposite and extreme categories skipping the evidence of intermediate valuations and facts. Commonly: seeing things in black or white.

• Overgeneralization: Belief presented by people who draw a general conclusion from one or more isolated facts and apply this conclusion to unrelated situations.

• Arbitra