Coaching for Change

I dedicate this article to my favourite age group… the youth of today. This is a topic about which a lot has been said and written and yet it remains an enigma to most of us when it really shouldn’t be. It should be as easy as it is for a 4-year-old to tell a story. Recently I was invited to mentor a bunch of kids to polish their Public Speaking Skills. These kids were going to present their project to a group of judges and the best idea was to win an award to fund their idea. I first asked them to tell me about their project. As they told me about why they chose the project, the passion, enthusiasm, and energy in their gestures and body language was apparent. Then I asked them to present their idea to me as they would to the judges. Suddenly the whole dynamics changed, the same bubbly bunch became uptight, nervous and robotic. When I asked them what the reason was, they said:  -It’s a formal presentation so we need to look and feel serious. -It feels weird to stand on

Traveling with children during vacations provides a wonderful opportunity to make children think and develop : -Planning Skills - Problem Solving Skills - Decision Making Skills. Instead of making them passive tourists while parents decide the places to visit, involving children in deciding the places to visit can be fun for both the parties. Get each member of the family to : 1. List out which places to visit 2. Best route and transport to get there. 3. Choose one place from each member’s list. The whole experience gives them a feel of what it is like to lead others and take responsibility for their decision. In the end, while it leaves them with a sense of empowerment, it creates memories and stories to cherish for a lifetime.

What are Soft Skills? Consider this scenario: You are new to a place and you fall sick. Since you do not know of any doctors, you decide to go to the nearest Clinic. After waiting patiently for your turn for about 30 minutes, you are called in. The middle aged doctor scans you through his thick glasses and asks “What are you here for?” It takes you a couple of seconds to realize you are being asked for your symptoms. You inform him of all your aches and pains. When you pause, he simply looks down at his notepad…scribbles a few notes and says “ok. Wait for the medicine outside.” The serious look on his face too intimidating for you to ask “But can you at least tell me what’s wrong with me?” You collect the medicine but not satisfied, you seek another doctor hoping this doctor would divulge more than just dispensing medicine. As you enter the doctor’s chamber, you are greeted with a warm smile. The symptoms are asked. While the doctor is scribbling on his note pad, he tells you

"I have had 2 career breaks. Both for personal reasons and both in the last 5 years. Before this, my career was quite stable. The irony is that even though last 5 years gave me 2 career breaks, it also got me the 2 best jobs of my life. Now I am losing the job I really love. Why would anyone ever give me a job with this kind of track record? “ said a mother of 2 toddlers who was undergoing massive changes in her personal life and it was impacting her professional life. She continued, "My worst fear is explaining my career breaks”. "Whose voice is telling you this story?" I asked She continued, "My inner voice and my experience from my last interview with the elderly Head of a family run organisation. More than my work experience, he was more interested in my breaks. He kept looking at what I lacked and not at the massive changes I had brought about in my past roles.” As she went on to reflect and narrate. As a working Mom with career breaks of my o