The book that really stayed with me last month was Coach the Person not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds. It’s a fascinating read full of practical guidance and insightful ideas, and a great read if you are interested in developing a coaching approach to leadership or your coaching and mentoring skills.
There was a lot to take away from the book, such as a really useful habit to set an intention for a conversation or a coaching session at the start. For example, you might choose to focus on feeling open or curious or caring, and focus on that before the conversation starts. It sounds obvious, but in my experience that’s harder to put into practice than it sounds.
I have a whole spectrum of interactions in any given week, and I am about to start mentoring young adults as part of a national programme, too. I don’t really know what to expect or what unexpected emotions, situations or challenges the clients I work with may bring into our session on any given day. I found the step by step guidance on how to establish and maintain a certain focus extremely helpful!
On my radar for this month
I read a lot of fiction in January, so these two titles are still on my list to read from last month:
- Goth – A History by Lol Tolhurst
- The Coaching Habit. Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
Non-fiction reading 2024
Creativity and culture
- Art Matters by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Hybrid working and leadership
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Rooms of Their Own (Where Great Writers Write), Improbable Libraries and Shedworking, all three by Alex Johnson
- Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra
Coaching and reflective inquiry
- The Big Book of Beautiful Questions by Warren Berger
- Coach the Person not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds
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