Is coaching just a buzz word?

This is a question that’s come up recently, particularly when I've been talking with colleagues in education and it got me thinking.

I don't think coaching is just a buzz word at the moment, it's been part of the narrative in education for many years and certainly for most of my last 15 years in education. I think perhaps it forms a greater part of our conscious awareness and dialogue than it has previously. I believe this is because in our increasingly complex and busy world more and more people are seeking time and space that helps them manage this. In education we have a responsibility to bring our best self to our work with children and young people and this means we need to also find ways that support us to do this.

I can't help but think of this quotation from Nancy Kline (More Time To Think):

"The quality of everything human beings do, everything - everything - depends on the quality of the thinking we do first"

If this is true, and I know from experience it is, then coaching is a game changer.

Coaching provides the time and space to think, discover and gain clarity. Having this uninterrupted time can feel and be transformational. I know this to be true, both from personal experience and also from the people I work with. Coaching is about you and exploring what is going on for you whether that is in life or work.

Human conversation is one of the oldest ways to nurture the conditions for growth and improvement. We come alive when we talk about what's important to us and it is this that has the potential to guide us into new and different actions that offer the potential for great things. In a world where technology has brought us closer to those far away from us and disconnected us from those around us we need to re-establish connection. We need to reap the benefits from the thinking that can be generated when someone holds the space allowing you to think deeply, independently and importantly uninterrupted.

Here's what some of the wonderful human beings I've coached have had to say about the experience:

Receiving coaching has been a transformative experience. Through Sarah’s considered listening and incisive questioning skills she has empowered me to think differently about myself and my leadership. In every coaching session we have tackled a complex issue together and by the end I know where I need to go next on the journey to solving each problem. Sarah’s approach makes me feel more confident in taking on greater challenges and I have utilised some of her techniques when working with colleagues myself. She is both a great coach and a good teacher. I would highly recommend this to anyone who would like to think differently and forge a path ahead with confidence.

I have been lucky enough to work with Sarah in a coaching capacity. Her kind, and welcoming manner makes the sessions a place of trust where you can challenge yourself in a supportive way. Sarah has strong values and her skilful way of allowing you to identify your own values leaves you feeling empowered and clear about who you are and how you will tackle the different situations you come across in your life.

I was extremely fortunate to have six sessions of coaching with Sarah over the summer of 2019. This was a time when I was in need of some re-focus in terms of my professional life and future plans; in particular I was struggling with how to find a happy compromise where I could live my values within my work and still have capacity to take care of myself and my family. Sarah was exactly the coach I needed to provide a reflective space and activities around these issues. She epitomises values-driven working and living and she was able to provide me with support and challenge when considering issues such as how we best serve others, how we lead with integrity and how we cope when others laminate but don’t live their values. She is highly skilled at listening and reflecting back, asking questions that move on your thinking and providing practical tools and strategies.

So, the question I ask you to think about is if coaching can do this, are you willing to reclaim time to think?