Jonathan Reitz here. Let me ask you a direct question: How are you feeling these days?
Now, before you answer, how are you really feeling? The last few months, we’ve faced a global pandemic with more than 100,000 dead in the U.S. alone, skyrocketing unemployment, police brutality and the death of another Black man in their custody, and all kinds of potential social change.
It’s ok if you’re not feeling that great. I know I’m not.
I’ve had to face the potential that I might catch a deadly virus only by leaving my house and then absent-mindedly touching my face. And I’ve had to look deep inside myself about my real attitudes about my Black brothers and sisters. I haven’t liked everything I’ve found. In fact, I’ve probably been more uncomfortable the last 90 days than at any time in my adult life.
And in the middle of all this, my house had tornado damage and my daughter graduated from high school. We’ve had to learn to work from home and use technology in ways that many, probably most, of us never wanted. And my family has canceled plans we were really excited about…with no real idea of when we’ll get to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
That’s a lot of change in a short period of time. I know you’ve been through it as well.
So, how are you feeling?
At times like this, coaches are more important than ever. We’ve got an opportunity to do more good in the next few months than in several years time under the old normal. What contribution will we coaches make in the new normal?
That’s up to us right now, and we can be at the center of a great new normal…but we’ve got some work to do to be as ready as we can be for what comes next.
I was honored to be a presenter at the World Business and Executive Coaches Summit (WBECS) last week. That event reminded me that I have a platform that can be helpful as a part of all this. I want to use that platform to make a contribution. Will you join me for a few conversations?
Here’s what I have in mind:
In Recording #1, Dr. Don Eisenhauer, MCC joins me to talk about grief. We all had hopes, plans, and dreams that seem out of reach in our current state. Grief is powerful and unpredictable, and coaches who don’t factor grief into their work are setting their clients up for disappointment. Don is an expert. View Recording #1: Grief here.
In Recording #2, Dr. Ramon Pastrano of ImpactLives in Minneapolis spoke about cultural competence. In today’s world, the opportunity to engage with people of all colors and cultures is in front of us. How can a caring coach handle those moments with compassion and integrity? How can white coaches learn the unspoken rules and systems that people of color live with every day? There’s no way for a white person to fully understand, but sensitivity is a requirement. Ramon can help. View Recording #2: Cultural Competence here.
In Recording #3, Tesha Nesbit from the Erie Insurance Group & Phoenix Rising LLC will explore diversity, inclusion and equity with me. Every coach needs to understand how they can offer their skills to a world that now wants opportunities equally available to all people. Understanding key differences and strategies for moving forward is a growth opportunity for us all. Tesha has been working on the front lines of these opportunities for almost 20 years and will help coaches shape their vision for what is possible. View Recording #3: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity here.
We can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing. It ends up here. And here can’t continue the way it has. Thanks for your consideration. Please check out the recordings.
Jonathan Reitz
CoachNet
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