Reference
1 http://bit. ly/1L8j2hj
sharing my experiences and stories. I personally don’t like the term ‘expert’ and yet I appreciate how my personal experiences of being an internal coach inform the conversations I have.”
Emily describes shifting from a purely coaching standpoint (through her work with individual mentees and coachees) to one of external consultant, as an ongoing dance just like learning to tango or to jive. At first the shift from one step or position to the next takes time and feels uncomfortable but as we practice and understand our mistakes and successes, we are able to transition more smoothly and with better understanding. Of course, the first time is the hardest. If you’ve ever stood, readying yourself to jump from a high diving board into the pool below, or from a cliff into the sea you’ll know that first time can be terrifying. It takes time to grow the courage to jump, but having jumped once, our body knows what it feels like and jumping a second time is usually quicker because physically and mentally we know what to expect. The embodiment of this experience coupled with the key skills required to be a coach or mentor, enables us to provide something that no generic article, ‘how to’ checklist or even, we would
argue, any book can. Through understanding the context of each individual organisation that we work with, really listening to what each client is telling us and asking for, allows us to draw on our wealth of knowledge, understanding and skill to enter into a tailor-made conversation. Experiencing first-hand what it’s like to work
in a system and embed an internal coaching or mentoring culture means we know what works and what the challenges are. And deepening this understanding through research, examining the experiences of others and writing and publishing on the topic has helped widen our perspective.
“Experience has given me the ability to straddle the space of knowing what it’s like to be rather than just the intellectual knowledge of to do. Yes I can pick up a book and read about best practice of internal coaching, and I can look to professional bodies about standards. However, sharing personal stories and experiences brings a richness and stance that is different to just being a ‘knowledge expert,” says Sara.
Can trust, relationship and honesty align with commercial necessity?
Human relationship could be described as the most important ingredient to success when
www.trainingjournal.com September 2015 29
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