5+1 coaching skills for politicians
5+1 coaching skills for politicians
Shifting perspectives, powerful questions, self-management, metaphors, listening
politicwise is where politics meets personal development. Become a free subscriber and get evidence-based ideas and tools for personal growth and wiser politics. For those whose life's work is more than a job.
The more I coach + volunteer in politics, the more I see the utility of coaching in politics.
Not just: coaching for those in politics.
But also: what if politicians had these coaching skills?
I think of 5+1 coaching skills in particular:
1) Shifting perspectives
Helping others shift from problem to solution, make a distinction between the topic (neutral) and their perspective on the topic (subjective), or be creative and put people in a completely new, also random, box to think inside.
What would that give you in politics?
Power to frame debates
Ability to move beyond gridlock
Flexibility in one's own thinking about topics
2) Powerful questions
In the right moment, the right question can move mountains. Use open-ended questions to explore and use closed-ended questions to clarify, commit and drive action.
What would that give you in politics?
A versatile tool: use them to improve relationships, make better decisions, be more creative, and lead others.
Ability to steer a conversation. And change starts with conversations.
A fountain of youth: stay fresh in your thinking. Challenge yourself and others with questions that make you think.
3) Self-management
There’s nothing worse than being sucked into peripheral/distorted Twitter/X threads. Coaches need to self-manage their thoughts and emotions to stay focused on the person they are coaching.
What would that give you in politics? Staying focused on what matters to you & the people you represent.
4) Metaphors
A picture is worth 1000 words. Good thing is we do not need to paint. A metaphor is a bridge, allowing ideas to travel effortlessly from the know to the unknown. Using a metaphor is like planting the seed of a complex flower in familiar grounds.
What would that give you in politics?
Flexibility to speak to anyone, clearly and powerfully
Confidence that you can champion complex topics and still communicate them powerfully
Fun. Lighten up the grey mist of policy with the colour of a world waiting to be awakened
5) Listening
Yes, I know, we are all great listeners. Only that we are not. It's easy to fool ourselves. If you've practiced meditation, you know what I mean: at the very beginning, it seems easy, it seems we are not distracted at all, only that we are. Listening, like meditation, is about being aware of where your focus is. Are you listening to respond or to learn and understand?
What would that give you in politics?
The gift of giving. Being listened to is very meaningful but rare, especially in politics. Give others the gift of being heard.
Data. Whether it's information, people's opinions and feelings. You learn from listening.
The foundation of a real conversation, not a monologue or exchange of talking points.
+1) belief in people's natural resourcefulness
Coaching is the craft of empowering people.
There is a lot of powerlessness in our societies. That's harmful to those who feel powerless & potentially dangerous for society.
Politics is not just the use of power to achieve certain ends. It should also be the practice of sharing power.