Copperfinch

Sharing this weeks reflections from Rachel This week I have spent several days hiking with two of my sisters in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. A part of the country I had never explored. It was a good time for filling my lungs with fresh air and reflecting on the year ahead. We were also really lucky with the weather, which helped, and had no rain at all. As a family, we have a lot going on this year, and a few decisions that need to be taken. This has led to feelings of overwhelm at times. Spending some time out in nature has, in Nancy Kline’s terms, provided me with the place and space to tap into my feelings and feel more of a sense of ease, to think more critically about my decisions. Hopefully this greater sense of calm can stay with me for a while as I navigate these decisions. #timetothink #moreease #thinkingenvironment

Some musings from Jo this week… I was firmly out of my comfort zone last week. I was asked to do something that I don’t like doing and I found my mind loudly chatter away, telling me 100 reasons why I couldn’t do it. But I did it anyway – I gave it a go. The old ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ mantra. We all have to do this from time to time. A day later I reflected on my discomfort. What got in the way of me ‘just’ doing it? If I hadn’t given it a go, what would I have missed out on? Next time a similar situation arise, am I willing to feel some discomfort, in order to do what matters? What helped me to give it a go? For me, answering these questions helped. I realised that it was a supportive word or two which helped me start. What has helped you stop/start or continue a task you're struggling with? Rachel Alvarez-Reyes Harriet Dodd PCC Helene Jewell CPF Ben French

Some start of the year reflections from Rachel. It’s the start of another year, coming into our fifth year living back in the U.K., and the year I turn 50! How did that happen?! I don’t tend to make New Year’s resolutions but I often start the year with some form of intention. Since this year feels like an important one, I have decided to take steps to restore or reclaim parts of myself that I had neglected somewhat. In particular the creative side to me. I have been meaning to restart painting for some time but haven’t found the space or the time to do it. I have just signed up to join a fortnightly group where I can bring my own painting projects and paint in their studio. Perfect. Looking forward to getting my paints out again. What are your 2025 intentions and what steps are you taking to realise them?

In a fun end of year learning session with my colleagues and associates at Copperfinch yesterday, we took the time to reflect on 2024 and to look ahead to 2025. We were prompted by the image and questions attached to this post. Other questions my clients and wider associates have explored over the past couple of weeks include: 💼 What do I choose to take with me from this year into the next? 🛑 What do I respectfully leave behind? 💬 What one word or phrase sums up my learning from the past year? 👏 What would I like to congratulate myself for by this time next year? 🚧 What might get in the way of my being able to do so? 💡 What one word/phrase will serve as my guiding light for the year coming?   Thank you Rachel Alvarez-Reyes, Helene Jewell CPF, Signe Jung Sorensen, Jo Elms, Edward Jospé, Jennifer Vaughan, Esmee Russell, PCC and Stuart Reid for sharing your insights. What questions to others find helpful at this time of year?

Some thoughts from Rachel … I bought myself a Christmas present and am looking forward to diving into this over the coming weeks (I have it in kindle version but I much prefer reading the actual physical book). I don’t really use ‘tools’ in my coaching, unless a concept or idea feels particularly congruent with what the thinker wants to explore. For me, this book really gets to the heart of deep coaching work: using silence, being comfortable in not knowing, working in partnership. The idea of meeting a thinker in our shared humanity is at the heart of how we work together. Our Copperfinch guiding words: space, trust, courage, creativity, feel like they resonate deeply with this way of coaching. Looking forward to sharing some of my reflections as I journey through the book. Thanks Claire Pedrick MCC and Lucia Baldelli MCC for sharing your wisdom in this useful and practical way. #beinghuman #humanity

What the waters teach about change and challenge. I just came across this article from a website I subscribe to and wanted to share as I felt it had some powerful lessons about how we can feel into our own experiences (it brought to mind the Cycle of Experience and our interconnectedness), the wisdom to be learned from being more observant about our wider environment, and how this can support our ability to navigate challenge or change. I particularly wondered what those who enjoy wild swimming felt about this: Sarah-Jane Marriott (ICF PCC), Helene Jewell CPF...

This week, Rachel shares some personal reflections on how some of the Copperfinch values are showing up for her right now... Some personal experiences are throwing a few curve balls my direction, and our Copperfinch core words (#space, #trust, #courage, #creativity) are taking on particular resonance as I navigate them, particularly in terms of finding space (to feel the feels and think things through), trusting myself to find the answers, and facing things with courage. Creativity comes in the ways we find that support our own exploration of what's going on. This poem, shared by Kay Young yesterday, touched me deeply, as poetry can, showing the way towards an inner knowing that is often hard to express. Art in any form can support this exploration. I would probably add to this list of words: #friendship. Knowing that you are not alone in navigating things and seeking support. Some wise words I am really feeling into... the cracks we might be seeing are often openings for doing things differently rather than a sign that things are falling apart- perhaps a chance for transformation. Deepest gratitude to those who are helping me explore this. And some words shared by another dear friend in a podcast she did recently have been ringing in my ears: "without friction, no shine". Thanks Marinke van Riet- this is a motto I want to pin somewhere prominent. #gratitude #wearenotalone

This week Sarah-Jane shares a question that comes up a lot in her coaching conversations with leaders, and touches on one of Copperfinch's core values. Trust and emotional connection - same or different? This was a question I asked a coaching client the other day, picking up on some of the words she used repeatedly in her introduction to something she was grappling with. Many of my coaching clients wonder about the same sort of thing. How close should I get with my direct reports? How “pally” should I be with them? I want to be friendly, to show them I care about them, see them as a whole person and not just someone here to work – but I worry that if I get too close it will make the difficult conversations I may have to have with them down the line even more … well, difficult. The client to whom I asked this question is very senior in her UN organisation. She’s new to her role and knows that she is expected to rebuild trust both within her bureau and between the bureau and the wider organisation. She feels a weight of expectation to address what seemingly is quite a toxic culture within some parts of the department AND to make changes to improve efficiencies. When I asked "Trust, and Emotional Connection. Same or different?" she paused. She thought for a moment – and was then concluded that they are different – but related. She explored what Trust means to her. How it takes time to build, but leaves quickly. She reflected on people she trusts, and came up with words like reliability, integrity, honesty. I shared a couple of resources – other people’s definitions of, and research into, Trust. We noticed that both Frances Frei’s Trust Triangle, and Kenneth Nowack's Four Pillars of Trust do indeed show that empathy and caring are crucial elements in building trust. But equally important are honesty, consistency and capability. If our colleagues feel that we care about them as people, and at the same time believe that we are competent to do the job required of us, consistent in our approach, honest and reliable, they will trust us. Even if we sometimes have to deliver uncomfortable messages. If, on the other hand, we appear interested and caring but fail to be honest, communicate erratically and act inconsistently, trust will be lost. #trust; #authenticity; #clear communication; #pyschological safety  

This weeks post from Rachel Alvarez-Reyes... As is often the case with this time of year, some coaching relationships are coming to an end. This morning I had the final coaching session with a lady I have been working with for almost 2 years. She may well get the option of coaching in 2025, but as we talked and reflected on our journey together, her feeling was that she didn't really need coaching at this time and wanted to focus on continuing to practice the things she had learnt. Her leadership assessment report that kicked off our coaching relationship highlighted a lack of empathy or humility in her leadership, and this dominated a lot of our early conversations. In delving into this theme, some of this related to her more introverted personality type (introverts can often be misunderstood as being cold and aloof or lacking warmth), and some related to the pressure she put on herself as the leader to be the one with the answers. One of the biggest transformation she made was in how she communicated with her team - shifting from feeling like she had to have all the answers, to listening more than she spoke. In recognising that she was a reflective person who needed time to consider things, she gave herself permission to allow a pause between receiving information and making decisions- this resulted in clearer thinking and better decisions. She then afforded her team the same courtesy and focused on creating a meeting environment that enabled people to listen to each other and make good decisions as a team. In our final session today, she spoke about a transformation in the team dynamic and the productivity of meetings. In listening to her musings on this, I was mentally able to tick off almost all of the 10 components of Nancy Kline's thinking environment. The sense of ease (or space) she now feels, the need to allow everyone a chance to talk and be heard no matter their position in the organisational hierarchy, the allowing and acknowledgement of feelings. Underlining it all is the quality of her own attention. Being an introvert, allowing space for other people and paying attention to dynamics was always her strength, but somehow she had assumed that leadership required something different from her- to be more dominant and decisive. It is so wonderful to hear her stepping into her own power and really leading from a place of acceptance and authenticity. It warms my heart to have been witness to her journey. #timetothink #space #powerofintroverts

Some musing this week from Jo. With the change of seasons – and what feels like a lot of grey, dark days – I’ve noticed a marked step in energy with clients, family and friends I meet as I walk through town. Some share that they’re feeling tired; some share that they’re 'not great'. Perhaps it’s the time of year…perhaps it’s the system/context we’re currently living in and through. Whatever it is, it feels tough. With this in mind, in coaching sessions this week, I’ve found myself exploring the use of Russ Harris’s mnemonic ‘NNNPW’. Noticing and Naming thoughts, Normalising what’s being thought (we’re all human) and then exploring the Purpose of those cognitions – “How is our mind trying to help?” Sometimes when we’re lacking energy being reminded that our mind is not malicious, and its job is to keep us safe, can be helpful. Workability is then the last thing to consider – what are the pros and cons of our thoughts and “How is that working out for you?”. Do we need to be with our thoughts and feelings? Do we want to make a shift? Are you navigating a low-energy stage of year with you clients/colleagues? #coaching #wellbeing #autumn