who you are is how you work

The title of this piece is ‘Who you are is how you work’ it comes from the Coaching Supervision Association website.  I think its pretty obvious that how you show up is a reflection of your work.  When you are in a place of balance, awareness and calm you will be able to handle what comes your way, hold the space for your clients and be in service.  When we are out of balance in ourselves it will leak in our language, behaviours or emotions.  We will not be the best we can be.

I am sure we can all think of times when we have worked with a client and not been at our best.  I know that when I had food poisoning whilst running a workshop my style shifted from extrovert high energy to a calmer more thoughtful energy.  Days that I am worrying about a business issue or concern I can feel it in my body which can lead to tension, my language patterns change or I hear my tone of voice shift.

So what to do about this?  How can you continue to grow yourself and provide self care?  Often when we work for ourselves and alone this can be a low priority.  We can be too busy looking after our clients and the business.
For me I know I need to find space and take time out to reflect and think.  Working with a coach is important to me. I have worked with Judy Wilkins-Smith and Sheila Belanger both excellent coaches in their own fields.

I recently attended a great workshop on Presence too.  It is an offering from the fantastic Damion Wanfor
The workshop was around how do I need to be and what do I bring?

The context I set those two questions in was The School of Facilitation.  If I am to be the best that I can be for my clients, the network of facilitators, trainers and coaches I am gathering together I need to be at my best. To be good at what I do I need to ensure I am ‘polishing my saw’ (Covey) on a regular basis and owning my ‘shit’ (please excuse the bluntness).
How as facilitators, trainers or coaches can we be at our best for our clients if we don’t take care of ourselves emotionally, physically, mentally or spiritually?

I leave you with these thoughts –
How do you polish your saw and provide your own self care?  
Who do you talk to?
How do you give yourself space and time to reflect, grow and nurture the inner you?
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I genuinely think our inner work will guide our outer success.
Watch this space as I think this is something we are going to bring to life through the School of Facilitation