As a celebration to the amazing group of coaches in our practice, I am dedicating this month’s blog posts & newsletter to coaching. I’ve learned the value of coaching from personal experience – and am intentional about having coaches support me in my business and personal growth. I’ve seen the difference great coaching can make – in both personal and organizational performance.
I encourage you to subscribe to our blog & newsletter – and also to consider if one of our coaches might be just the thing you need to take your performance to the next level.
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Many, many years ago (I think in 1989) I heard a speaker use a phrase that resonated and has stuck with me. Although I don’t remember any of his other remarks – he used the term “unconditional positive regard”. A bit of internet research shows that Carl Rogers popularized the term – which he attributed to Stanley Standal.
Unconditional positive regard is a full acceptance of another’s inherent worth – regardless of the current state and/or actions of that person. Psychologists believe that by showing a person unconditional positive regard and acceptance, the therapist is providing the best possible conditions for personal growth to the client. It is a state of grace, where judgment is suspended, in which the other person is granted the emotional space to acknowledge their current situation and feelings. The second part of Rogers’ belief was that all people have the capacity to change and that unconditional positive regard is reflective of this.
It is my goal in coaching to extend unconditional positive regard – and to create a safe space in which the thorniest problems and challenges can be discussed, without blame or repudiation. In that safe space, my clients are free to reveal more of themselves and their actual circumstances. They can bring up situations in which their performance was less than they had hoped for. They can admit when they are struggling or just can’t see a way out. They can do that knowing that I truly believe in them, accept them as they are, and believe in their capacity to learn, grow and change. In this environment, options can be explored and solutions developed.
