Session with my Coachee, Jennifer

The coaching conversation process was something that was new to jennifer and me when we went into tit. However, when we connected I think we quickly became a good team that would be able to help each other learn and grow over the course of this semester.  Jennifer is smart and easygoing and she is already a pretty effective dialogist.  

As a coach, I try and listen as much as I can at first to the perspective of my coachee.  This is true in a number of the coach/mentor roles that I plan in my life, whether at work, running my small business, or with my children. I then try and add my thoughts without being threatening.  This can effectively be done through asking questions and letting the coachee come to conclusions by themselves. 

One interesting dynamic is the gender dynamic that exists when you are working with someone of the opposite gender.  Men and women often relate to the world differently and coaching a male or coaching a female requires different tactics.  This is something that I am looking forward to looking into closely as the semester moves along.

Session with my Coach, Claudia

I appreciated the opportunity to work with Claudia on this project.  I always like getting to know new people and both us were traveling this week/weekend so we had to go the extra mile to connect on this project.

It was somewhat difficult for me to play the role of the coachee, as I am a coach in my real day life.  Usually I am the one who is listening and helping people frame their thoughts and come up with what to say in order to get their desired results.  It took some getting used to when someone was helping me through this process.

One thing I went into the session knowing was that I had to be able to take constructive criticism.  Again, as an athletic coach, this is not something that came naturally to me.  Usually I am the one that is dishing it out.  I could no be sensitive and needed to open my mind to what someone else was telling me.  We didn't get too deep into this but I do anticipate honing these skills so that I can really make myself better without being defensive.

I am looking forward to doing more of this work and playing the part of the coachee over the course of the next few months.  I think that it will be a good opportunity for me to get better in dialogue.