Be A Better Coach – Go Beyond. Part 3 of 4
The Japanese culture has the concept of “Ikigai” which loosely translated means to have a reason to get up in the morning. What happens for each of us when we invite change to live and play with purpose? Going beyond our routine offers the possibility for an experience of our wider purpose in life. Purpose assists us to see a meaningful connection with our life and work and, as a result, to build resilience with challenge and uncertainty. This is counterintuitive and a paradox. Certainty is overrated and often gets in the way of aliveness. Ultimately, it is our sense of greater purpose in life that compels greater self-belief to take risks, be courageous, experiment and reach beyond our comfort zone.
Our world is filled with examples of ordinary people who never imagined or sought our greatness and notoriety yet through the events of life connected to a greater sense of purpose which in turn sustained actions of great import to society.
In order to appreciate the full potency of being coach, we must remember our greater life purpose that lives beyond being of service to another. We must be disciplined to perceive, witness and fully embody the unique expression of our individual humanity. What enlivens us is dynamic, our human experience in a constant state of change. Noticing the evolution of our experience emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually humbles us and at the same time inspires presence.
Inviting clients to embrace a practice of noticing in each of these domains empowers them to go beyond the day-to-day routine and see a broader context for their life. As if opening the aperture of a camera lens to capture more of life’s grandeur, we stimulate clients to transcend the familiar and tap imagination for a more vibrant future.
We cannot authentically walk a path with clients that we have not chosen and pursued it for ourself. A reflection practice is essential for being a better coach and going beyond our familiar and comfortable range of purpose. Frequency matters with a practice designed to strengthen and expand our capacity. Our mind, heart, gut, and spirit are centers of experience and related wisdom that we may tap at any time. Our reflection builds sensitivity to perceive and witness the evolution of experience with our clients. Ultimately this builds confidence to challenge our clients to go beyond and fulfill their greater purpose in life.
About the Author:
Janet M. Harvey, ICF Master Certified Coach, Certified Mentor Coach, Accredited Coaching Supervisor, ICF Global Past President, and ICF Foundation Board President, has 30 years of experience as both a corporate and entrepreneurial business executive. An early adopter for creating a coach-centered workplace, Janet has worked with global organizations and teams of leaders within to establish a generative, resilient and high-performance culture through a coaching approach to leading and managing success. Janet Harvey brings her executive and entrepreneurial experience as CEO for inviteCHANGE, leaders in sustainable excellence through a signature transformative coaching and learning process for people, processes and systems. Clients and audiences around the globe speak of Janet as bold, curious, provocative, challenging, yet respectful and compassionate in her leadership roles.
The Expert Series is brought to you by choice Magazine as part of our ongoing efforts to bring opportunities for learning and growth to the coaching community. Delivered in four parts every two weeks, each series covers useful topics for business development and coaching insights, serving the needs of leaders in all areas and walks of life. Archived copies of the previous series can be found here.
