Fostering Mindful Change

In September, my own 'Friday the 13th' experience occurred early when, on Tuesday morning, 3 or 4 small unrelated events occurred in rapid succession which, cobbled together, really took the wind out of my sails. I knew that given my current state I was not in a position to lead a coaches discussion at noon on Fostering Mindful Change. (Don’t you love the irony!)

So I set my action list aside and went for a quick mountain bike ride to clear my head.

Space provides perspective, and perspective offers an opportunity for important shifts.

It helped. Not only did I ‘reset’, but I also gained clarity on some key coaching principles that support fostering mindful change in our clients.

Integrity It's really hard to foster mindful change in others if you're not fostering it in yourself first.

Modeling We reinforce our own 'Be', or sense of self, when we create mindful change. In turn, we create a strong foundation to foster mindful change in others.

Change is a Choice Not all clients are ready for mindful change - don't force the issue.

Change is a Process - Fostering mindful change is a process. It will not happen overnight.

I shared the principles with the group of coaches. My colleague at Coach Approach for Organizers, Andrea Sharb, commented

“What immediately came to mind for me was something I share with my mentoring clients: It's really hard to take anyone beyond where you've been yourself. Therefore you need to have experienced this process before you can expect to lead someone else through it."

Effective coaching is all about fostering mindful change. As you foster change in others pay attention to the change you are fostering in yourself. It will make you a better coach.