Group Coaching Kick-off

Last week I traveled to Philly to kick off a new group coaching cohort with a group of new leaders. At the start of our time together, the one-word check-ins painted a familiar picture: "Tired." "Overwhelmed." "Tired" again. The weight of juggling multiple priorities and endless to-do lists was palpable in the room.

I start every session this way because there's something powerful about naming where you are before you can figure out where you're going. Those single words give us permission to be human together. And then something really interesting happens when you create space for people to actually be seen and heard. When you ask the right questions. When you listen, really listen.

By the end of those same 90 minutes, the energy had completely shifted. Check-out words: "Validated." "Reflective." "Curious." The same people. The same challenges waiting for them. But something had changed - they'd moved from going it alone to feeling connected, from just getting through to actually being open to exploring what's possible.

This is what gets me excited about coaching work. It's about creating the conditions where people can find their own clarity, remember their own strength, and walk away feeling more ready for whatever comes next. And the reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer each other is simply the gift of being truly present together.