Coaching Conversations: Episode 4

In this episode I talk with Tess Cope whose Transformation Agency specializes in transformational leadership and executive coaching for senior management teams and HR leaders across a range of diverse organisations.

I’ve always been interested in looking at the larger system and part of my work is doing organizational cultural diagnostics with the aim of helping clients understand what kind of culture would aid their strategic plans compared to where they are today – what’s the gap? So the hook that got me tuned into the systemic approach is that it’s another way of understanding the whole, a way of getting in tune with some of those invisible dynamics that other diagnostics can’t reach.

Horses can play a key role in the work and as a lifelong lover of horses this was an aspect of Tess’s practice that had to be explored – along with her application of the systemic approach.

I first incorporated the horses in what I would call classic leadership development work, helping leaders look at what’s their trust, what’s their energy, how do they build rapport? The horses are magnificent at simulating those scenarios in a very safe, but magnified way. I still incorporate that in my work with leaders if, indeed, that is the area that they need to work on.

Episode 3 of Coaching Conversation with Jane James explains more about systemic constellations for organisations.

Mentioned in the podcast

The Transformation Agency website: http://www.thetransformationagency.com

The Whole Partnership: https://www.wholepartnership.com/systemic-coaching-constellations/

Poem for October 2020

This poem, a pantoum, is in memory of Rick Vick, a wonderful, community spirited man of Stroud and fellow poet who died a year ago.

Lost to winter

The cyclamens, the small, pink clump of them,

delicate blooms in the rough autumn verge,

put me in mind of Greek Islands,

which in turn bring to mind your stories.

Delicate blooms in the rough autumn verge,

then passing the top of town poodle parlour,

in turn bring to mind your stories of loving,

living, dreaming on an Aegean paradise.

Passing the top-of-town poodle parlour

I recall your delicate teaching of poetry.

Was living and dreaming on an Aegean paradise

how you found the rhythms held in words?

I recall your delicate teaching of poetry

finding through your gathering of souls a place

where the rhythm held in words

flourished and acceptance grew like flowers.

Finding through your gathering of souls a place,

a community where to create is to breathe

to flourish, and acceptance grew like flowers

whose fading is no broken line, rather stories gone to ground.

A community where to create is to breathe

in exchanges that nourish our blooms

whose fading is no broken line, rather stories gone to ground 

like Cyclamen graecum, small, pink clumps of them.

Coaching Conversations: Episode 3

In this episode Jane James, coach, coaching supervisor and educational catalyst talks with me about working with a systemic lens.

As other methodologies of coaching and leadership development seem to reach a ceiling in terms of how much they can achieve, this methodology, which taps into the invisible, the unseen, and something of the unconscious, is proving to be beneficial.

Our conversation covers the history of applying a systemic lens in organisations and the ‘orders’ – or principles – which provide a framework for the approach. The conversation is enriched with examples from Jane’s depth of experience to illustrate how this approach reveals otherwise hidden dynamics in organisations and teams to leaders.

Since recording the conversation, which took place before the Covid 19 Lockdown, Jane has finished writing her book, Families: revealing the hidden dynamics of parenting. She has also teamed up with fellow coach Nick Clitheroe and Mike Malig Group Director of nowhere to co-found Meeting Life as a Creative Adventure. This online programme teaches future leaders how to nurture and harness their innate creativity, how to thrive in uncertainty and lean into creating the unfolding future together.

Jane’s book can be purchased through her website.

If you enjoyed this episode do subscribe through my website or via your podcast host.

Mentioned in the podcast

Families: revealing the hidden dynamics of parenting written by Jane James, published November 2020.

Jane James’ website is https://janejames.co

Meeting Life as a Creative Adventure is: https://www.meeting-life.co.uk/

The Field, by Lynne Mctaggart, published by Element, 2001

Systemic Coaching and Constellations, by John Whittington, published by Kogan Paul, 2012

Bert Hellinger, who died in September 2019, wrote extensively about the family constellations, the approach that he developed. https://www.hellinger.com

Judith Hemming, Moving Constellations http://www.movingconstellations.com

The Centre for Systemic Constellations https://www.thecsc.net

The Whole Partnership, founded by Ed Rowland https://www.wholepartnership.com

Poem for August 2020

Zoom

And there you are

Beloveds, in my space

with me. Even if

we’ve never met before

the sight of you warms 

my broken heart. And if

we are already beloved 

of one another, it mends

a little whilst I wait

for your embrace

listen for that knock

on my door. Soon.

Coaching Conversations: Episode 2

Talking with Sarah Rozenthuler about her book Powered by Purpose, which is so relevant to our time, the depth and breadth of knowledge she draws upon is self- evident.

Sarah was, in part, motivated to write Powered by Purpose in order to address the Financial Times’ description of purpose as ‘a black box with all its workings hidden from view.’

I wanted to see if there was a way of laying out what those mechanisms were and then translating them from that into really practical tools.

We converse about her own underpinning personal purpose, and It is impossible not to admire Sarah’s heady mix of compassion, drive and determination to write in order to support the corporate sector to be a force for good.

I think orientating a business, an organisation so it’s truly of service to people and the planet, so it’s really creating value for long term well being, is going to be one of the key factors of organisational success going forwards.

Esther Foreman of the Social Change Agency, describes Powered by Purpose as ‘compulsory reading for any leader searching for purpose and looking to authentically transform their organisation, people and planet for positive impact.’

I hope that listening to our conversation has you reaching to obtain your own copy of Powered by Purpose.

It is available to order from your favourite independent bookseller, Waterstones and in both print and kindle versions from Amazon. Likewise, Sarah’s first book, How to Have Meaningful Conversations.

Sarah Rozenthuler can be contacted via her consultancy, Bridgework Consulting https://www.bridgeworkconsulting.com/ and on LinkedIn. Together with Alberto Gonzalez Otero and Chris Blackwell, she has created the Purpose Collective.

Mentioned in our conversation were:

Certified B Corporation: https://bcorporation.uk/

Blueprint for Better Business: https://www.blueprintforbusiness.org/

Aaron Hurst: http://www.aaronhurst.us/

Peter Thompson, The Eth Word: https://www.theethword.co.uk/

The Whole Partnership: https://www.wholepartnership.com/

Coaching Conversations: Episode 1

Georgia Boon, CEO Allsorts, shares the benefits of leadership coaching for her and the charity she led.

Coaching Conversation podcasts come in monthly episodes. You can listen to people sharing their experience of leadership coaching with me to help you decide if coaching is for you. You’ll also be able to listen in on my conversations with other coaches who are alive to how our profession is well-placed to support people, teams and organisations through the waves of challenges we are experiencing.

You can listen to the podcasts here or go to platforms where you can subscribe and receive a notification when a new episode appears.