Today’s leaders are thinking about the correct equation for hybrid working. What about Coaching? Virtual facilities and simplifications lead us to believe virtual work will replace face-to-face interventions.
My return to Panama and Mexico made me reflect on the following questions: What is the best option for organizations? What do my clients need? What did I gather during my return to face-to-face Coaching?
Coaching is a discipline that adapts to new times and takes advantage of new technologies. While it is true that virtuality allows us to work remotely without having the constraints of heavy logistics, it is also a source of new learning. Using innovative applications has allowed me to anchor my clients’ knowledge and guarantee their commitment. These are experiences that remote technology makes possible.
However, let’s recognize that face-to-face work offers unique opportunities that we tend to dismiss, such as reading facial expressions and measuring the intensity of the tone of a voice. Inspiration resides in Mexico, and the exaltation of the senses is inevitable in Morelos. These magical and colorful spaces bring another dimension and greatness to the soul. I am the witness of a living system that moves and transforms under the effect of my questions, and the presence of each moment enriches us.
Physically accompanying my Mexican clients turned out to be a luxury that I had not been able to experience during the last two years. Diving into the chaotic environment of Mexico City and breathing the sweetness of the lands of Morelos allowed me to reconnect with the reality of an inspiring and rewarding job.
My three main lessons:
1- Give value to the context and source of inspiration.
Changing space and place facilitates the contextualization of a session, whether it be individual or in a group. The markers are new. Our senses are alert and pay attention to possible nuisances and distractions. The Coach is on his guard and must question himself at all times. The Coach is part of the system composed of renewed elements that challenge us.
2- The importance of connection.
The coach does not hide behind a screen. He faces reality. He is connected to himself, grounded in the context but also to his client(s). Such connection is multiple and powerful. This connection with our clients is more natural and enlightening and tends to generate new relationships.
3- Presence is meaningful.
The silences are absolute, and the words are more meaningful and accompanied by an unfiltered voice. The coach knows he shouldn’t play. The game is not his responsibility. But it is true that in the presence of the other or the group, the coach works without a net. Expressed with more nobility and elegance is the Coach’s art. We live the moment in all its splendor, without detours or hiding places.
