by Sue Stockdale (UK)
There is a famous saying by Henry Ford that ‘If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got’. It is worth paying attention to this idea as you gain more experience as a coach, because we can become too reliant on using the same tools and techniques with our clients. You know what works, right?
However, I have a different philosophy that underpins my coaching practice, which encourages me to regularly step out of my comfort zone and try something new. It is about being a great role model for my clients. Who am I to encourage them to change? – if I don’t use a similar approach myself.
It was with this idea in mind that coaching in the outdoors was added to my coaching repertoire. During the chemistry session with a new client I noticed that they were finding it difficult to sit still. They seemed uncomfortable in a meeting room, even though in their day job they worked in a small office and were familiar with a typical corporate office environment. I decided to take a risk and suggest to them that we could meet elsewhere for our coaching sessions. How about outdoors?
Source: iCN Issue 23 (Coaching Tools, Tips & Techniques); pages 57-59
About Sue Stockdale
Sue Stockdale is an AC-accredited Master Executive Coach and coaching supervisor. Her clients include leaders in corporate, sport and not-for-profit organisations internationally. She was the first UK woman to ski to the Magnetic North Pole and has represented Scotland in athletics. In 2014, Sue received a global coaching leadership award at the World Coaching Congress in Mumbai. As an author, Sue has written and co-authored eight books, including Cope with Change at Work, (Teach Yourself Books 2012); The Personality Workbook (Teach Yourself Books 2013); and Risk: All that Matters (Hodder & Stoughton 2015). www.suestockdale.com @suestockdale on Twitter
