2. Practical wisdom – in-depth knowing and application

If presence is the foundation of our coaching, the value on which we build all our coaching, the second value we affirm is what we call ‘practical wisdom’. What do we mean by this juxtaposition of two words? We elaborate it further by saying we are interested in ‘in-depth knowing and application’.

There are all sorts of knowing. I can know that 2 plus 2 equals 4. Or, on another level I can know that the decay rate of Uranium 235 is 570 atoms/second or 570 becquerels. This sort of knowing is factual, black or white, yes or no, empirical, testable. This sort of knowing is knowing that. Much of our education is devoted to this sort of knowing – we need to know a lot to function well in our world. But it’s not the only sort of knowing.

When I get on my bike and ride off, or when I sit behind the wheel of my car I draw upon another sort of knowing – I draw upon knowing how. This sort of knowing does not just sit in my head, it sits in my body. Over time, as I practice and re-practice I build up a range of muscle-memories, routines I do not consciously have to recall, but which happen in situ as I focus on the task at hand. Knowing how is often a set of well-tried habits I can reproduce without much thought, but I could, if needed, describe them and transmit them to someone else.

I can know I’m loved. That sort of knowing is different from the factual kind, the black or white kind of knowing. I can know I’m committed to a certain set of values. I can know that, in a variety of settings or situations, when I’m confronted with a dilemma or a choice, I will act in a certain way because of the values I hold. This sort of knowing comes from a different place. All the things I know sit in my head and I either know them or I don’t. Knowing I’m loved, I’m accepted, I’m a valued part of this family or team comes from a different part of me. In shorthand, you’d say my heart tells me.

In our coaching, we sometimes have to draw on our knowing that type of wisdom. And we will draw on your wisdom and experience. We value the possibilities that exist in creating a thinking partnership with you.

Having been executive coaches for many years, our team has a depth of background knowledge, from our experience of leadership issues, navigating complexity, and working in different sectors or particular functional specialisms.

As coaches, we draw upon a lot of knowing how wisdom, whether it’s how to construct a powerful CV, to conduct a compelling town hall meeting, or integrate AI into your business. We know how to coach, and how to craft compelling stories. We understand how to help you make sense of your life and frame your experience so you can move forward with clarity and assurance.

We are happy to share all that wisdom and experience with you, and appreciate and respect the personal wisdom and experience you bring. But that’s just what you’d expect, or what you’d hope. We are also committed to sharing with you the deeper knowing that comes from the heart – empathy, insight, intuition, and perspective. This may demand courage in discomfort – to sit together with not knowing, until clarity emerges.