Challenge is part of the coaching game.
It is essential for me to challenge you because the goal is to build extra power.
When you are in a therapy context you tend to focus more on nurturing energies. You focus on sharing and understanding. What you need then is healing the wounds, finding answers, etc.
We can sometimes use this "soft" style within the coaching context when you touch on very sensitive areas of your life.
If I feel you go that way and for instance share a negative past experience, I will of course be sensitive and always respectful and modulate my style to fit the needs of the moment.
However, as most client's situations have to do with gaining more power and simply performing better, challenge is a communication style I will easily use because it is an essential way of connecting with your inner resources. Competition is challenge. What gives you the ability to compete is the ability to stand the challenge and go for it. This is why the coaching space is based on a high energy exchange.
I don't want you to get too comfortable because if you do, you might miss your target altogether.
A coaching session always tends to challenge your comfort zone. This is the way to go deeper and connect with your extra sources of power.
Once you link with your inner power within the safety of a coaching session, you wake up these resources for life. You discover how to access new energies inside yourself. This is thrilling and happens spontaneously while you tell me about you goals.
A coaching session does not involve buggy jumping (yet!) but you will certainly feel the thrill and excitement of something new.
To tell you the truth, you don't need me to reinforce your comfort zone. In most cases, your ability to take risks and go for challenges is simply underused. On the other hand, your tendency to stay within the limits of what you already know might already be strong. What you want with coaching is reinforce new mind sets and ideas.
You are always given a virtual "red safety button" which is just there, accessible under your desk. Simply press it and it sends me a warning red signal. It's symbolical but this is the way we work. I always ask you for feed back at the end or during the session to see if you get everything you need from our exchange.
It stays always about your needs and agenda. My task though is to hear even what you are not saying, and make sure that your session hits all its targets.