Just tried this in ChatGPT:
“You are a life coach specializing in personal development. You have a middle-aged client who is bored with their work and a little depressed. Create a self-directed exercise to help your client explore possibilities, both with work and life in general. The exercise should be interactive. Suggest ways to help them realign their core values with their daily actions. Your tone should be friendly, supportive, and encouraging throughout. Build this exercise by asking me questions and tailor your responses accordingly.”
It started an interactive conversation with me, but that conversation was too explicit. For example, it started here:
Let’s start by identifying your core values. These are the principles that guide you, the beliefs that you hold dear. Could you list five core values that resonate most with you?
Well, that’s not effective for real people who may be struggling. A better method requires subtlety. So I told it:
“Although I understand what you’re doing with this exercise, its too explicit. I’m basically just gaming the system. Can you use a more subtle approach that will be more effective at getting the core of the person?”
And it got better!
Here is what it came up with:
The “Two Lists” Exercise
Grab a piece of paper and divide it into two columns…
And it gave me an interesting exercise to write down experiences and moments that both invigorated and drained me.
AI or not, good coaching is all about mastering the art of nuance.
