Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Curiouser And Curiouser
When we're asked to list the attributes that make a great coach some things spring to mind straight away. Words and phrases like empathy, great at listening, non-judgemental, challenging ... you know the sort of thing.
For me, right up there near the top is the gift of curiosity' (also known in some less kind circles as nosiness'!). This is an attribute which feeds into every level of what we do as coaches. It enhances our practice, sends us out into the world finding information and tools which will encourage our clients and help expand horizons, and feeds a spirit of adventure which in turn helps us develop our businesses.
At the coal face it is by applying curiosity that we can look at our clients' issues from every side. It is by being intrigued by and curious about what makes people tick that we can become great coaches. Always digging a little deeper, uncovering more and more, peeling away the layers.
Through curiosity we can establish all the resources which are available to us, and learn how to use them in the best possible way. Curiosity aids us in our research at every stage. It sends us straight to the index of every text we read, so we can quickly identify the most useful passages to read. It takes us to Google to look things up and then carries us forward into the unknown, following obscure links, and finding riches in the form of great tools and resources to use at work.
To illustrate this, let me tell you about a good friend of mine who always has a really eclectic selection of music to play in her car. She always has albums we've never heard of and they're often quite fabulous. She finds them through applying curiosity - she searches on Amazon for what she likes and then follows those other people bought this' links, deeper and deeper until something catches her eye (or her ear). Through following these fascinating trails into the unknown she has built herself a unique collection of music.
Of course, it is curiosity also which will ensure we do the research required before putting our energies into developing new coaching products. If we're curious we'll find out what our market really wants, deliver it and then evaluate it every step of the way, constantly asking for feedback, constantly seeking ways to add further value. It is curiosity which has us clicking through on every interesting link to see what our colleagues around the globe are coming up with in terms of new ideas, how they are driving their businesses forward. It is curiosity that drives our desire to see just how we can make our own unique mark on our profession - to discover just how much we can achieve.
Curiosity's where it's at.
Jan Scott - Coaching Kitbag coachingkitbag.co.uk"> coachingkitbag.co.uk It's amazing how some people can Winsor Pilates Video their personality and energy through the medium of the internet - you are one of these people! Angela Dunbar angeladunbar.co.uk
