coaching with presence

Coaching with Presence

Jeff McKennaRoger Brown

Agile Camp Silicon Valley 9/21/13© 2013 Roger Brown and Jeff McKenna

What is Coaching?

Coaching is a relationship in which one person is primarily dedicated to serving the long term development of effectiveness and self-generation in the other.

- Doug Silsbee

Service

Learn

Change

Grow

What Tools Does a Coach Have?

Mechanics Soft Skills LeadershipTools Questions AdviceModels Listening GuidanceFrameworks Facilitation Discovery

How are These Tools Applied?

Observation Choice Action

What Do We Observe?

Individuals

Situations

Systems

PlacesTeams

Ourself

How Do We Observe?

In the beginning…. by paying attention

As we grow….by cultivating the skill of Mindfulness

to access the state of Presence

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the rigorous attention to observing ourselves in action to become fluid, intuitive, aware and exquisitely responsive.

- Doug Silsbee3 Levels• Sensation (physical)• Emotion (feelings)• Mental (meaning, rationalization, use of language)

Active mind plus observing mind

What is Presence?

Presence is the underlying state we access through mindfulness that allows us to be the best person we can be.

- Doug Silsbee

Experienced as- In the moment- Present Tense- Timelessness- Witnessing- Beside yourself- Self-awareness

Presence is always accessible

Contact with Presence:For ourselves– To manage attachments and aversions– To learn, change and grow ourselves– To be a coach, not just do coaching– To be aware of choices

For our clients– To make appropriate choices– To influence their state of being– To nurture mindfulness in them

A Place to Start: PosturePosture sends a subconscious message of energy.

When standing, put your right foot forward and feel your toes.

When sitting, sit up straight and feel your toes. Try leaning a bit forward as well.

Exercise: Physical Awareness

• Choose a partner.• One partner is going to relate a challenging experience from

work for which coaching could have been useful.• The other partner is going to use their listening skills to learn

about the challenge.• When you hear a chime, we will ask you about a particular

physical aspect of the encounter – both coach and client. • Both of you will note things about that aspect that they

noticed, felt or wondered about.

Presence is Essential to Coaching

Tools

Choice

Observation

Mindfulness

Presence

Approaching Mindfulness

• Mindfulness is a practice that takes practice• Mindfulness is essential for successful coaching• Presence is here. Experience it.• Being mindful will enhance our lives and skills, improving

our– Agility– Accountability– Resourcefulness– Resilience– Authenticity– Vitality

Resources• The Mindful Coach and Presence-Based Coaching by Doug Silsbee• The Leadership Dojo by Richard Strozzi-Heckler• Coaching with NLP: How to be a Master Coach• by Joseph O'Connor• The Human Side of Agile by Gil Broza

Presenters

Jeff McKenna, CSC and CSTagile.action@gmail.comwww.linkedin.com/pub/jeff-mckenna/0/29/71b

Roger Brown, CSC and CSTroger.brown@agilecrossing.comwww.linkedin.com/in/rogerwbrown