One of the most common dynamics we see in conversations in senior teams is leaders who find it challenging to speak up and leaders who seem unable to listen up. At the start of every team coaching session we support team members to be aware of their speaking and listening. We encourage everyone to participate… Read more
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In his book The Second Mountain David Brooks references a story he read about a guy who bought a house with bamboo growing near his driveway. He wanted to get rid of it. So, he cut down the bamboo, chopped the roots, and, just to offer one final blow, poured plant poison over any roots that lingered. The hole that… Read more
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I recently coached a senior leader who had never experienced executive coaching before. I explained that one of the key principles of coaching is that he chooses the issue he wants to explore – he sets the agenda. He thought about this for a while but still remained unclear on how he could make the… Read more
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Formal coaching with a qualified coach involves taking purposeful, protected time out of the day job with a coach to make progress towards specific goals. This type of coaching can create space for reflection, which in turn often paves the way to profound learning. We refer to this as ‘off-line’ coaching. People typically feedback that… Read more
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As coaches we often support leaders and teams to find ways to finish, close or end well. It may be the completion of a project, the end of a role or the final chapter of a career. It’s sad to hear stories of poor endings, unfinished business or unacknowledged achievements. When insufficient attention has been… Read more
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The sociologist and philosopher Zygmunt Bauman once coined the phrase ‘liquid modernity’ to describe the mobility and complexity of modern times. We stand on shifting sands where the need to continually adapt, coupled with a pervading sense of impermanence, can make us feel vulnerable and fragile. Our identity is strongly influenced by our environment, so how… Read more
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