My entry into the world of coaching

I had completed certification in Organisation Development from ISABS some time back. I had the experience of being a coachee too from a professional. Now it is a great experience to be a student of coaching! On the very first day I started to experience the meaning of “becoming self as an instrument of change”. I had learnt it in my OD course and was experiencing it to some extent. It was a strange and tough concept when I started my OD journey. Now I see coaching is the perfect platform to live that concept.

I liked the statements “Who you are, how you coach” and “Journey of a coach is journey of human being”.  It comes alive every moment. It is the journey to sharpen self and contribute to others.

I recall the statements made by Edgar Schein, guru of process consulting. He says listening is an exercise where the listener suspends all judgements, transplants himself inside the client or coachee, experiences as if he is coachee, yet retaining his own identity.

In a way while listening coach becomes the coachee to experience every feeling coachee is experiencing yet remains neutral and comes back into coach’s role to take the conversation forward. That could be the closest way to listen without corruption to the listening process.

I am more and more convinced my journey should be to clean myself as a mirror, every day, like a priest bathes the idol religiously. My only goal is to hold the mirror to the coachee to see better picture of himself/herself. Sharper the mirror is better it is. I believe there is no destiny, journey is more important, every moment.

The experience of being with the coachee is noble. It is like being with a blossoming flower. Fresh air blowing across the flower and me as a coach in an energizing process. It is enough to be there in the company of flower!

I am happy to be exposed to coaching through Gaurav, who started the journey long back. Lots to learn through him, as he compares himself to a flute in the hands of coachee to play her/his music! Thanks to Gaurav and xMonks for bringing me into this exciting world.