The open road
One of the joys of coaching is the exploration of a question towards evolving a freely determined solution. The joy of the open road, we might think. Well, nearly. There are admittedly the guiding guardrails of a structured and timebound conversation, the solution focus, the goal of purposeful action, the models and tools, and all […]
Once upon a time…
Writing and coaching. Two of my favourite pursuits. A long conversation with a good friend the other day – appropriately called Jesús for this time of the year – drew out how similar they are. In both, we find ourselves in lands we have not set foot in before. We explore ideas and differing points […]
Shades of brilliance
When I need to properly think, I climb a mountain. It used to be a dive deep underwater but the sea in Scotland is a wonder to behold from outside for those with tropical blood. So a couple of days ago I took myself up Schiehallion, such a popular mountain they’ve named quite a good […]
Keeping to the Path
How do we keep moving forward with change? How do we keep to the path we’ve so bravely mapped and set out on? Just in the last few days, professionally and socially, I’ve had change conversations with someone being more assertive at work, someone being more assertive with their loved ones, someone who’s been sober […]
Re-set
I’m sitting at Istanbul airport heading home after three days of facilitating a leadership workshop. I’m buzzing, and it’s not just from my double Turkish coffee. Yet again, the leaders have been engaged and challenging, my co-facilitators have brought in perspectives different to my approach, and we have all come out with new insights and [&he
Curioser and curioser
Doing some book research on Palmyra the other day, I came across this line from the late French historian Paul Veyne. Yes, without a doubt, knowing, wanting to know, only one culture – one’s own – is to be condemned to a life of suffocating sameness. Suffocating sameness. Those words took me like Alice down […]
The questioner
As the profession continues to evolve, there are a lot of thought pieces going around – as ever, truth be told – on coaching roles. It’s something we all struggle with. In short, are we questioners, advisors, mentors, sounding boards, counsellors, facilitators, sages, feedback-ers, challengers, catalysts, midwives, spark plugs, soul project
Exploring the known and unknown
Curious and restless by nature and nurture, I love wandering off and going / exploring / learning / meeting / sampling / XXX (insert verb as wished) something new. It shows up in any profile I do and in any coaching supervision. In working on direction and ways forward, my experience with leaders over the […]
Pandora’s box
You know the story. There was once a time and a place. And in that time, and in that place, the gods gave the mortal Pandora a sealed box. Eventually unable to withstand her curiosity, Pandora opened this box, releasing a whole number of evils into the world. All that was left behind in the […]
