December, 2020 | Coaching with Intent

Tilia cordata

First notice this:

I spiraled

into your heart,

then dropped

to your feet.

Now pick me up.

Bag me in a 50:50 mix

sharp sand to compost.

Place me in deep dormancy

first warm, no less than 68⁰

for sixteen weeks, then chill me

for sixteen more at 39⁰.

Be patient those eight months;

love takes time to root

in the substrate of life.

Do not forget me waiting

in your fridge,

harnessing my potential

to send down a radical,

push up a shoot, with two

fresh-from-seed

cotyledenous leaves.

Smile at me.

I will you.

I might have germinated

in the bag – or might not

– either way plant me

in a carefully chosen pot.

Wait for me

to stretch high,

become your oh so sweet

Linden love

and allow me to pluck

the cords of your heart.

This episode’s conversation is with nature-based coach, James Farrell. As well as being the director at The Natural Coaching Company and founder at The Human Nature Partnership, James works in environment and climate change related fields and has done so for almost 30 years.

I’ve been on a search for the last few years, for that sweet spot between people, planet and human potential…. I’m a surfer and my pre-coaching prep five minutes before the session is to imagine I’m out there, sitting on the ocean. That brings the environment into it (the coaching session).

In our conversation about nature-based coaching we explore how rooting coaching practice in the natural world – literally and metaphorically – benefits coachees and nature. James cites a wealth of research to back up his commitment to his work.

This generation and the next are the ones to turn the corner to more just and sustainable planet, so that’s what nature-based coaching is about for me. I’m driven by the idea that to pull this off we need people who can be operating at their very best so that we’ve got a chance of make the biggest possible impact. That’s where coaching comes in – and coaching in all its forms is wonderful when it is done well.

Episode 6 of Coaching Conversations with Alison Whybrow (January 2021) explains more about the Climate Coaching Alliance mentioned in this episode.

James is offering a free ‘Coaching with nature’ guide to his subscribers. Get in touch via the Natural Coaching Company website or email hi. The details are below, along with information about the scientific research that he draws upon and mentioned during our conversation.

Mentioned in the podcast

The Natural Coaching Company https://naturalcoachingcompany.com/

where you can find James’ Climate Coaching Alliance webinar as a blog

Climate Coaching Alliance https://www.climatecoachingalliance.org/

Climate Change Coaches https://www.climatechangecoaches.com

Michael Cohen, Project Nature Connect https://projectnatureconnect.org and 54 natural web strings https://www.ecopsych.com/insight53senses.html

Earth based institute https://earthbasedinstitute.org

Finding Nature Project (for Miles Richardson and Alison Pritchard et al). https://findingnature.org.uk

Gold Standard https://www.goldstandard.org/take-action/offset-your-emissions

International Coaching Federation https://coachfederation.org/blog/icf-cosigns-global-statement-regarding-climate-change

Zoltán Kövecses (2010), Metaphor – a practical introduction, published by Oxford University Press.

Joanna Macy & Christ Johnstone, Active Hope https://www.activehope.info/index.html