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Putting The Beach Into Coaching

15 February 2015

When I was a small boy, with short trousers and a cheeky smile, I lived far from the seaside and used to look forward to family holidays. We would journey to the mystery land of Cornwall, with coves, smugglers and sandy beaches and spend two weeks constructing monumental sand castles, eating pasties and over-indulging in cream teas. What heaven – is there really anything better in this world than a sandy beach on a sunny day?

Spring forwards to me as a business coach and when I started my business 12 years ago it was considered appropriate to wear a suit, gun sling with a leather briefcase and generally look cool, calm and seriously collected. How times change and now I’m edging back to my youth with days spent on the beach coaching clients amongst the sand and seals of Norfolk’s finest tidal business offices. Forget the suit – jeans and a rucksack are the business uniform for the smart modern coach. Beaches are great.

And yes, I have been paid to paddle.

Coaching is about inviting thinking, making connections and building a bridge to a new direction. ‘Letting go’ can be a bit hard on our psyche, so better to ‘build bridges’ I think.

Beaches are about simplicity and they free us from the complex texture of our executive working lives – they give us the chance to breathe and to let our minds wander.

To think differently it can help us to do differently. If you lack a beach nearby then where could you go to find a more inspirational space than the known confines of your office? (And quite honestly if you are beach-less then jog to Norfolk and meet me on the coast at Wells or Holkham for a walk and a cake and a coffee. Or for two cakes).

This week we can all remember that work is work wherever we do it and a beach makes for a great office, as long as we are mindful that plug points are hard to find and Wi-Fi can be patchy.

Where will you go this week to think new thoughts?

Next week: Follow Up Up Up