Reflections: The Animas Blog
I have several concerns about the myths being created within the personal development world, and I have often used the term ‘personal development fascism’ to refer to the attempt of some parts of personal development thinking to pin all responsibility on the individual. This came home most forcefully to me some years
OK, I have to admit a vested interest here. I’m a coaching supervisor, so it’s pretty obvious what I’m going to conclude! But bear with me.
As a supervisor, I find the work I do with coaches fascinating, rewarding and enjoyable.
What do you think the most important coaching question is? Indeed, is there one?
Surely there are so many that there can’t be just one. There are so many factors that come into play that there can’t be just one question: “One Question to rule them all”, as Coach Frodo might have it!
We build a sense of a journey that makes sense of our own personal history, and of the world around us. And whether it’s the behaviour of others, our own responses, the results we get in life, the obstacles we face, or something else, we often find that “the long and winding road … always leads me here”.
If you’ve kept up with any of my posts recently, you’ll notice I am fascinated by how coaching provides a space for someone to explore their meaning and purpose in today’s hypercomplex, volatile, choice-ridden world. And I am, essentially, very optimistic about the role
When I started coaching 15 years ago, it was all so simple! Coaching was about helping people move from where they were to where they wanted to be by identifying their main sticking points and planning an active journey to overcome them.
It often gets messy before it gets better!
You might soon start noticing a common theme in my thoughts, and it’s essentially that they largely aim to debunk myths
In the classic 1937 song, Billie Holiday sings, “me, myself and I are all in love with you”. Quite honestly, it’s a rare thing to have such consensus of the self!
We’re trying to get there too fast. There’s a hunger to be the expert, the go-to-guy or gal, the thought leader, the brand, the personality, the star….without putting the time in.
Now there’s an interesting statement and, no doubt, one that will get every ethical nose twitching. But don’t worry. I don’t mean it as it sounds!
As a coaching supervisor, I always have an eye on ethical dimensions in my supervisee’s work. It is rather like a goalkeeper in a football match who, even when their side is dominating play, has to be constantly ready to leap in to action when needed.
In “The Glass Cage: Who Needs Humans Anyway?“, Nicholas Carr explores the darker side of the increasing move towards mass-automation in both industry and our everyday lives.
“Nick, is coaching a fad?” I was asked recently.
There was no malice to the question, no attempt to suggest that it was. Just a genuine curiosity.