The Poetry of Coaching

"the shape of words like the shadows

of doves, settling." 

from Translation, Jane Griffiths

This coming weekend, I will be speaking at the Euro Coach List Conference near Bristol, UK, about the parallels between coaching and poetry.  Unusual bedfellows?  I don’t think so.  

Language is a crucial part of any coaching process.  Our self expression is a bridge between our internal and external worlds.  As a coach, I pay close attention to what clients say and how they say it. Together, we listen for their authentic voice.

Using ‘clean’ language, carefully reflecting and repeating the client’s choice of words, can enrich coaching.  And there is a growing understanding of the use of particular language tools, such as metaphor, in the coach’s repertoire.

As a poet as well as a coach, I have always been interested in the power of particular words, phrases and images to evoke feelings and clarify thinking.  I increasingly find myself using snippets of poetry, and poetic imagery in my coaching.  This can be especially powerful for clients who most value new ways of seeing their challenges, over practical help with planning and actions.

However, I believe the link between coaching and poetry goes further than this.

The language and forms of coaching and poetry have much in common; they are non-directive, open, often rhythmic, involve ‘showing’ not ‘telling’, and are about what ‘might be’ as well as ‘what is’.  Poetry and coaching have a shape but not a rigid structure.  Both create a space in which we might overhear something important.

Thinking about my coaching practice, I have gained clarity and focus from finding a way to see it; in other words finding a metaphor for the way I work.  Many people, including coaches, describe their work in part through different metaphors.  For me, seeing my coaching approach as poetic has given me greater insight than reams of ‘how to’ text books.  Consciously employing poetic devices has strengthened my practice and yielded delightful and surprising results.  Above all, it feels authentic. 

"What can anyone give you greater than now,

starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?"

from You Reading This, Be Ready, William Stafford

Please email me for a copy of my presentation, or to explore this idea further:  

sam@differentdevelopment.com