Coaching & Mentoring Initiative

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Comment by Matthew Kálmán Mezey on May 7, 2012 at 21:38

Hi Graham,

I know David's work via his Scientific and Medical Network - and was, like him, a founding UK member of Ken Wilber's Integral Institute.

I can't actually remember what the Wrekin Trust do, right now...

Cheers,

Matthew

Comment by Dr Graham Wilson on May 7, 2012 at 20:31

Interesting, Matthew.  Have you come across the work of the Wrekin Trust?  David Lorimer is much involved in it, and has written a number of interesting books on the theme - he is also a biographer of Prince Charles' spiritual views.

If you get a chance, could you monitor this thread too - it would be good to have your involvement...

http://rsafellowship.com/group/fib/forum/topics/themes-that-excite-us

Cheers, Graham

Comment by Matthew Kálmán Mezey on May 7, 2012 at 20:14

Hi Helen,

I really wish I'd got along to the lunch on Mindfulness - but it clashed with a meeting I couldn't move.

I've been a member of an ongoing mindfulness-related practice group for quite a  few years now - though it's from the century-old 'Fourth Way' approach of Gurdjieff. ('Living the Mindful Life - a handbook for living in the present moment' by Prof Charles Tart is a good guide to both the Buddhist and Gurdjieff-based mindfulness practices).

One approach to coaching that is deeply informed by Gurdjieff's practices is Bill Torbert's 'Developmental Action Inquiry' (and the Leadership Development Framework stages of client maturation linked to it).

Interestingly, the executive coach that the RSA's Matthew Taylor had for a while took a strongly Torbert-based approach. (Joiner and Joseph's book 'Leadership Agility' takes this kind of approach, as does Torbert et al's book 'Action Inquiry').

Best wishes,

Matthew

Comment by Helen Gormley on May 7, 2012 at 12:07

Hello All

 Apologies for taking a little while to post a note, but I have been on leave.  Firstly, thank you again Anthony for hosting the lunch in April and for all your efforts, energy and engagement with this agenda within the RSA and beyond!

 

Wonderful to share a discussion on Mindfulness and Coaching which I really enjoyed finding it insightful, energising and thought provoking.  We spent some time discussing mindfulness and how it is being introduced into different settings and one key area has been through the coaching relationship.  For us as coaches preparing to coach and of course teaching mindfulness to our clients.  I promised to put some references up that I have found useful:

The Healthy Mind Platter – David Rock and Daniel Siegel

The Mind to Lead – Suzanne Kryder

Full Catastrophe Living and Arriving at your own Door – Jon Kabat – Zinn

The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

The Mindful Workplace – Michael Chaskalson

Get Some Headspace – Andy Puddicombe

Mindfulness (a practical guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World) – David Williams and Danny Penman

 I also mentioned the Mindfulness at Work 1^st Annual Conference last February and this link to the ‘The Business Case for Mindfulness in the workplace: http://www.mindfulnet.org/page35.htm

 There are many more I could have added but a selection presented that I have found very useful.  I look forward to the next lunch.

Comment by Andrew Armour on April 24, 2012 at 23:53

Coaching That Sharpens The Collaborative Edge -

The biggest myth of innovation is that it is a solo game. The one where you need a genius, normally the stereotypical mad inventor type who conveniently turns up to save the day. It’s a  convenient myth too. If you haven’t got a boss or team member who is a genius – then it’s a good excuse why you can’t innovate. Its not your fault you havent got a Steve Jobs in the cupboard is it?

Organisations need talented people but the real need is for them to work in what Morten Hansen calls a ‘T-Shaped’ way. ‘T-Shaped’ managers are those with a good depth of knowledge to be effective at their task (the vertical of the T) – and they combine this with an ability to work collaboratively across the business too (the horizontal arms of the T).It is this kind of collaboration that is needed to drive innovation, organisational change and progress.

Smart organisations find and nurture these ‘T-Shaped’ people – or coach people how to become one. However research shows that most organisations and individuals collaborate poorly and struggle to maintain important relationships. As John Abele, the founder of Boston Scientific said in the July 2011 addition of Harvard Business Review; “I am struck by how much potentially rich collaboration are ruined by people who don’t even realise it”. And the Journal of Psychological Type pounts out that 45% of the detailment of important relationships comes not from lack of technical delivery and commercial opportunity - but from a lack of empathy, trust and other 'soft skills' of relationship management

There is a gap. A paradox. Organisations need to innovate - but a lot of teams and people lack the collaboration skills that are so important to deliver it.

The CollaborativeEdge is a Programme that focuses upon sharpening the key relationship skills that are so critical to the success of innovation and business development projects.

It’s a one-day Programme, built around key modules including Awareness, Conversation, Innovation and Relatonship Planning. It is ideal for marketing, sales, innovation and business development teams – and any executive or team responsible for managing high value strategic relationships.

For further information and research please see; Part One: The Paradox and Part Two: The Programme.

Comment by Peter Heywood on March 30, 2012 at 10:46

Many thanks to Anthony for arranging the March lunch. Very much looking forward to the next one!