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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I’m a lucky duck – I am surrounded by friends, coaches and colleagues who help me think better. Having someone (or someones) who are thinking partners enables your thinking (and then your actions) to be crisper, more focused, and broader. So many times, after a session with a thinking partner, I am elated to find an idea or solution to something I had struggled with alone for a long time. I often come out of these conversations with a sense of energy and direction. Thorny problems become less thorny. Confusion shifts to clarity. A good idea gets even better.
What do thinking partners do? Here is a partial list:
- Listen hard
- Ask great questions
- Probe
- Listen for the unspoken
- Challenge
- Present alternative ideas
- Speak the unspoken
- Build on ideas and make them better
Where do you find thinking partners? Here is where I’ve found mine:
- Mastermind groups
- Professional organizations
- Coaches
- Teachers
- Bosses
- Peers & Colleagues
And not all thinking partners have to be with you in the flesh – some of my best thinking partners are great authors. While these are one way dialogues – they challenge my thinking none the less.
