The essence: An introduction to the topic of activism and an invitation to explore what’s possible for us in a coaching space.

The concept of Coach and Activist are often seen as mutually exclusive and to be labelled an activist has connotations of ‘danger’ and ‘radical’. This seed is an invitation to reflect more deeply on what is the meaning of activism for us as coaches and to reflect on our impact. It provides some basic information about activism, explaining what activism is and what it isn’t, and clarifying some assumptions that we might hold about activism. It also explains how activism can take different forms and be displayed by individuals like you and me, or by larger collectives and groups.

The Seed provoked me to think about the meaning of activism to me. I used it to reflect on how active I’ve been so far and how could I be more active going forward, in relation to the climate and ecological emergency. What would that mean in the personal space? What would it mean in a professional capacity?

I’ve also took a more systemic view of the coaching profession and how activism has shown up in this space. What has been the impact on the coaching profession so far and what might it be going forward? What is the change we need to bring into a coaching system to enable a full response? What would that be?

In a personal space, I’ve realised that I’ve been an activist for a long time, on a small scale and through some of the everyday choices like shopping for ethical brands and reusing/recycling/repairing, and therefore being a more conscious consumer. Both could be considered an expression of activism. I think of activist differently as a result.

Key learnings:

• Activism has different formats and meanings, and can be anything from an individual choice to an organised rally of thousands of people.
• Activism is a way to communicate and express the need for change and/or a way of making an impact.

It’s for us to find an active (activist) space that is aligned with our values.

Reviewed by Rebecca Raybould

In essence: Stories and practical ideas and questions on how to bring nature into coaching and supervision work.

This seed provides stories of nature, especially trees, being a part of the coaching space and how using nature-inspired questions and metaphors can open new thinking, provide perspectives, spark ideas, and invite new possibilities.

It is supplemented with 49 questions rooted in nature and gathered under the headings of nature, seed, root, storms, bloom, branch, growth, and wisdom. These questions have been gathered and tested with the individual clients and teams, and are ready to be used in the coaching conversations. The articles also provides references to some useful evidence of the benefits of spending time in nature.

The article by encouraged me to experiment with nature-inspired questions in my coaching sessions in a way that was aligned with my coaching philosophy. Since it would have been new for my clients, I initially considered pre-empting this idea and explaining what I was doing with my clients. However, in the end I decided to just go with it, without introducing and explaining my intention.

I first reviewed all the questions in the “Card Deck” to get the idea of possible questions, but never tried to memorise anything specific. I used the questions as inspiration and for guidance only.

Directly before the session I usually take a few moments to ground myself with the aim to bring nature in. During the sessions I allowed the questions to emerge in the moment without “looking for an opportunity”, and therefore there were sessions where it didn’t happen. I’ve noticed that looking through the window was an accessible way to invite nature into coaching space.

Three key learnings:

• By asking questions related to nature clients look for and find their stories and draw meaning from them. It can be a truly sensory experience with pictures, sounds, smells, touch.
• The space for nature-inspired questions emerges naturally but holding an intention before the session was a useful reminder if this is a new part of the practice.
• The clients don’t have to be in nature to connect with it – a view from the window and plant at home/office are great “tools”. Using memories related to nature and imagination can add an important emotional lens.

The nature-related questions have also changed my daily walks in the nearby woods. Anytime I go out on a walk now I pay much more attention to trees along my favourite path, the colour of leaves, the textures, listening to the sounds have become mini meditations. And in the face of a more challenging day, I often ask myself “What question would you like take with you on a walk today?” – and use the time to reflect and draw inspiration from nature.

References

Jackie Holder, “The Soul of Nature”, Coaching Today, October2020

Jackie Holder, “Inner & Outer – Nature Self-Discovery Deck”, Coaching Today, October2020

Reviewed by: Gosia Hendereson