What are you re-thinking?

Apr 20

My major in college was Learning and Organizational Change. I may have been one of those rare freshman who had a passion when I entered college that hasn't waned in the (too) many years since I graduated. As an executive coach and consultant, I find myself thinking about and working on change both at the individual level and organizational level. When I coach, I'm engaging in change or to use coaching jargon "transformation" at the individual level. When I consult to organizations, I use change theory and methods at the systems level. As I work with my clients, I have the pleasure of revisiting what I knew about change through my studies in college and my brief career as a Change Management Consultant while staying current on updated change science and incorporating my experience effecting change in our education system. I am re-thinking daily about how to inspire change and what practices and approaches will work best for my clients to reach their goals.

If there is a such a thing as a "mind-crush", someone whose mind and work I love exploring, mine is Adam Grant. He is an organizational psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. His newest book, Think Again, asks us all to lean into the power of knowing what you don't know and to revel in the process of unlearning. Adam believes adamantly in the scientific method and asks his readers to approach all they believe from the perspective of a scientist. At the highest level this means all beliefs are hypotheses which we should be open to testing and exploring again and again instead of sticking with what we believe today.

There are so many overlaps with what Adam is asking us to do and the craft of professional coaching. For example, Adam explains in his book a psychological method called Motivational Interviewing. In coaching we call that asking Powerful Questions. It's the same tool- using simple, open-ended questions to help individuals explore their thoughts and beliefs with a goal of making a shift or learning something new. We don't have to rely on a psychologist or a coach to push us to re-think. We can ask ourselves powerful questions. The premise that we can and should ask ourselves what we're re-thinking often is powerful. It's a practice that can improve our work and our relationships with ourselves and others.

What are you re-thinking, and how can we help?

Jodi

What are you re-thinking?

When you engage with Jodi Akst Coaching (JAC) for professional coaching you gift yourself time and space to re-think so you can grow professionally and/or personally.