Everyday Coaching

One thing I especially love about coaching is that it can happen anytime, anywhere.

Several colleagues of mine love coffee as much as I do, and we found a local coffee pop-up with excellent espresso and the best oat milk mocha around (they're temporarily closed and we're eagerly awaiting the brick and mortar location to open).

On our way to our caffeine fix, we'll chat about what we did over the weekend, books/shows/movies we've enjoyed lately, and funny kid/husband stories...but often what ends up happening is we coach each other. Not just on the mundane things or the family-related dilemmas, but on work-related issues. We're at different levels and on different teams in the organization and at times we're joined by folks outside of our division. Sometimes our informal coaching centers around resolving (or preventing) conflict, sometimes it's about how to speak up about personal accomplishments without feeling like a brag, and on occasion it's to allow venting but then gently reminding each other that a little perspective and a lot of empathy can turn high drama into a small misunderstanding that can be set aside. It's professional development in disguise.

I've read books and articles on coaching, all of which are helpful, and I think that there's a place for formal/professional coaching as well as consistent coaching that should be happening between managers and direct reports (by the way, I think that can be a two-way street). However, I love the underestimated value of peer coaching and informal coaching that happens very frequently and often unknowingly.

The photo above is one I took on one of my trips with my great-aunt, British cousins, and twin sister. We were spending a few days in Iceland and stopped for pick-me-ups while exploring Reykjavik one day. When I stop to think about my travel companions, I realize that I've received coaching from each one of them at different points in my life (and in different places around the world!). Bill Nye said that, "everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." This means we have the ability to learn from everyone, and that everyone around us is a potential coach. How lucky are we?