Thinking Aloud

‘The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first. The quality of our thinking depends on the way we treat each other while we are thinking.’

– Nancy Kline

Coaching provides a thinking space that pays attention to both context and content. It is an intentional conversation which acknowledges that how we think is as important as what we think. By raising our own levels of self-awareness and taking responsibility for our contribution to every interaction that occurs throughout the day, we discover that the growth we personally experience also contributes to the growth of those around us. Our own experience of autonomy, relatedness, and competence profoundly affects the way we see and engage with others, and they with us.

A coach facilitates a conversation you have with yourself, in which you think about what you want to say, and how you say it. The coach listens actively, asks powerful questions, or requests clarification. This gives you space to reflect on what you’ve just said, sometimes realising that it is not exactly what you think. So, you give it another go until you are clear that what you are saying is an accurate representation of what you are thinking.

Through this process, you notice qualities that are important for meaningful conversation such as trust, being present, or clarifying, among others. This helps you to engage in more productive conversations in both formal and informal settings. Now you know that what the person opposite to you is saying may, in fact, not be what they are thinking. By your willingness to listen actively (a key coaching skill) you create a space in which both of you are able to express yourselves with greater clarity.