Craftsmanship Matters

#SOL22 by Amy Ellerman 
Today was day five 
(of six) 
of Advanced Cognitive Coaching, 
and I am struck 
by my own capacity 
to engage 

with such sustained 
attention 

to the highest level of 
nuance 

in a coaching conversation. 

It reminds me of writing, 
in the way 
each word matters, 
in the way 
a writer gets stronger 
through practice, 
reflection, 
and revision. 

Feedback offered and received. 

We spent the entire day 
on the second half 
of a problem resolving conversation. 
(Day four was the first half.) 

I am fascinated by the intentionality of it all,
driven
to sharpen 
my edges,

curious
to find just the right
invitation,
opening,
insight. 

“You’re _______,

because _________. 

You want __________,

and you’re looking for a way
to make that happen.” 

Paraphrase here,
but don’t ask questions—
the goal is to move
the coachee forward,
not to dwell in the problem. 

Distress to eustress. 

Now it’s question time: 
Surface those states of mind,
deep structure—
values, beliefs, mental models. 

Paraphrase. 

Pause. 

Listen, listen, listen (always). 

Repeat. 

How do I know when I’m done? 

With the conversation? 

Look for evidence
of cognitive shift—
body language
gives it away every time. 

With this coach learning? 

Never.

6 Comments

  1. Morgan
    Reply

    I am right there with you. I could take CC a million times and still find something (everything) to work on. I love the “Distress to eustress.” Of this day. This is such a great reminder of the power and intention in these moves captured through the power an intention of your words.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Natasha
    Reply

    It’s so interesting to learn about this method of coaching through your poem. What a wonderful way to synthesize new information! Now I want to take the course. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Amy Ellerman
      Reply

      I highly recommend Cognitive Coaching (and Advanced Cognitive Coaching). It has been foundational for my stance as a coach. And as Morgan commented here, there is always a new layer to learn and apply!

      Like

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