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Is there a place for coaching at home? You decide. What follows is one of my most memorable encounters with my daughter.
One Monday afternoon a handful of years ago, I was in the kitchen when I suddenly heard a burst of protest from upstairs.
“Mooooooooommmmmmm!”
“Yes?”
“I CAN’T go to gymnastics practice tonight.” By that time I was headed upstairs.
“Why not?”
“I’ve got too much homework this week!”
At the edge of giving in (hey, what more honorable excuse than homework?), and yet wanting my daughter to honor her commitment to the sport, I decided to do a bit of coaching.
I asked questions like:
As the layout of the week and its demands became clear, I could see her wheels turning. After some silence, during which, (1) she was processing the information that she had put on the table, and (2) I was trying unsuccessfully to form an opinion on whether or not she ‘should’ attend gymnastics practice that evening, I said something like, “Ok Honey. You know best. You decide.”
She took a swift, almost indignantly deep breath, and replied, “Ok! I’ll go to practice tonight.”
Indeed, she went, and she made the rest of the week work quite well.
I learned SOOOO much from this encounter. When similar challenges would arise, I would try to help my daughter sort out the situation, and then leave the decision up to her.
While this is an example of how things can play out at home, it is applicable anywhere. We coaches can help our coachees make their own sense of the chaos, and then ‘throw’ the responsibility for making decisions back into their laps. We must continue to let them know that we believe that they are ‘naturally creative, resourceful, and whole’*.
While my daughter appreciated these conversations in general (and there were many), I will never forget the time she came to me and said: “Mooooommm!!! I’m gonna ask you a question. And this time I DON’T want you to say ‘You decide, Honey!’ I just want you to tell me what to DO!”
*See CTI’s Co-Active Coaching model
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Does it work?
There are a lot of ‘Leader as Coach’ programs out there, and we venture to guess that ±95% of them have no or negligent lasting impact.
I (Julie) was once asked to design a program ‘that works’ – that actually gets leaders to develop and sustainably and successfully apply solid coaching skills in the workplace – so I DID.
This gave birth to our cornerstone program: Coaching is an Art
We have personally witnessed Senior Business and HR Leaders transform their leadership - increasing their impact on individuals, teams and the organisation.
Here’s what past participants are saying:
Participant 1:
“There are so many things that I am doing differently (and better!) in conversing with colleagues and clients now! This course took me on a significant journey, reviewing and transforming how I interact with others. With a plethora of extremely effective tools now at hand, I am more curious, listen more deeply, am more patient, and I stimulate deeper and more innovative thinking in others. I am much more conscious and intentional now – and all this gives me enormous energy!”
Senior Global Partner
Big 4 Advisory Firm
Participant 2:
“I previously prided myself on always having an answer and advice when others approached me with their challenges. However, through the coaching program I have learned the value in guiding individuals in how to reach the answers themselves, leading to directions that are fully owned by the individual … and better suited to the situation… As a result, I am seeing my team members feeling empowered to … make their own decisions ... This gives me more time to lead the strategy … Everyone wins with coaching!”
Senior Leader
Global Consumer Goods Company
Global HR Sponsor 1:
"This flexible, 9-month program really works! Our senior leaders are developing and successfully applying solid coaching skills, which are particularly important in times of transformation and change. Leaders coach selected talents and as a result, we notice significant behavioral shifts in daily interactions, team collaboration, performance and how employees take ownership on business commitments and drive results.
Currently in the process of rolling out our 5th wave, we see this program as a key enabler to build the desired culture, which allows us to position ourselves ahead on the competition in a highly dynamic market. The impact of this program on retention and engagement is high, and it continues resonating across a diverse and multigenerational workforce.”
Global HR Sponsor 2:
“I recommend this program for all leaders who really want to achieve their full leadership potential, and for your organization as a whole in order to be truly competitive in the marketplace.”
In-House Programs
Would you like more information about our In-House Program? Let’s have a chat. We would love to learn about your needs, give you more information, and answer your questions. Send an email to Julie at julie@julie-johnson-consulting.com
Open Enrolment Programs
Would you like more information about our yearly Open Enrolment Program? The next (5th) run is set to start in March 2023. This could be a great way to ‘test the waters’ with one or two participants from your organization.
We are now accepting "Early Bird" registrations for the March 23 launch, offering a 15% discount if registered by December 20, 2022.
Want to learn more? Send an email to Julie at julie@julie-johnson-consulting.com
