With less vaccine take up and higher levels of hesitancy in our under 30 population, can coaching help? In this blog we offer 12 coaching questions to help guide people to a decision that’s right for them
It’s a topic on many people’s minds. With around 34% of under 30s yet to be vaccinated and high levels of emotion being expressed on each side of the vaccination debate, it’s not surprising that some people are struggling to decide what to do.
Advocates of Covid 19 Vaccination are assertive in their views that everyone should get vaxxed as a moral and public duty – because it’s not about protecting yourself, but the people around you. An example of this hit the headlines recently with Michael Gove describing those refusing to get vaccinated against Covid as “selfish” and suggesting they could be “barred” from venues in future.
Conversely the voices of anti vaxxers are getting louder – with some claiming that they are unnecessary, ineffective and potentially dangerous, or contrary to their civil rights. Then of course, there are those who fear malevolent forces at play…
The levels of vitriol and bad feeling emerging, only seeks to harden and polarise the opinions of both sides.
As a coach, one of our most important roles is to support people as the tussle with big questions and big decisions. Taking on the role of calm, supportive and impartial ‘thought partner’ to someone else’s decision-making process. And doing so, without bias or judgment to ensure that we don’t ‘contaminate’ quality thinking with our own personal preferences – it’s both an art and a discipline!
So, if you, or someone you know is pondering their decision, here are 12 coaching questions to help navigate the ‘to vax or not to vax’ question …
- To vax or not to vax, which direction are you leaning towards currently?
- What has led you to go in this direction?
- To what extent does this feel like a decision you’re making for yourself versus a decision that’s being influenced by others’ views of what you should/shouldn’t do?
- Which part of your personality is influencing your decision at the moment? e.g.
- The part of you that enjoys being righteous and/or critical of others
- The part of you that wants to be dutiful and take care of others
- The part of you that gets a buzz from being rebellious and alternative
- The part of you that is compliant and follows the rules
- The part of you which is calm, grounded and able to fully weigh up all the pros and cons
- Which emotions are associated with this decision and what’s triggering them?
- How confident are you that the data informing your current position is reliable and robust?
- What potential risks, if any, are associated with your current position?
- What’s the likelihood of these risks actually happening? And, how could you mitigate them?
- To what extent will your current decision enable you to do what you want to do in the coming months?
- Irrespective of your decision, what additional steps can you take to ensure you stay safe in this time?
- How can you also ensure the safety of your friends, family and community?
- Taking everything into account, on balance, what’s the best decision for you?
Irrespective of your vax or no vax position, here’s wishing you and yours a safe and resourceful summer.