The presentation by Nancy Kline set the scene for a thoughtful year ahead. Nancy is a world-renowned consultant whose work on “thinking environments” seeks to improve the way we think and, thereby, the way we work together.
Nancy’s philosophies overlap in many areas with the “Care and Growth” thematic, principally regarding the quality of the time and attention we
offer each other. Nancy asserts that we need to focus our attention on “the other” by listening without interrupting and, by taking turns to speak, creating a respectful dialogue that affords each person the opportunity to think more effectively. Care is inherent in the helping of others to think for themselves and Accountability results from the process of thinking for ourselves.
Care is also reflected in paying attention to others through incisive questioning, through listening without judgement and through remaining silent while they have the opportunity to think. Thus we demonstrate genuine interest in others’ agendas, while suspending our own, and show appreciation for what others think. Wondering where others will go to next with their thought processes keeps our attention and holds us back from simply listening in order to respond in terms of our own view.
Nancy says that “getting the best from people means getting their best thinking”. She encourages people to structure meetings around this apparently simplistic approach, giving each person the chance to express their thoughts, so nobody is left unheard. A comment made by an executive at British Telecom was: “Do not be fooled by the simplicity of this process. It will unleash the power of your whole organisation.”
Nancy’s relevance to Coaching is profound. Coaching conversations are fuelled by incisive questions designed to stimulate the coachee’s best thinking and depend on the coach’s ability to listen, to understand where the client is coming from and to respond appropriately.
Nancy’s intent is clearly to ignite the human mind in individuals, to create a thinking environment within organisations and to pave the way for a more thoughtful society. Again, the overlap with Schuitema’s Care and Growth is palpable.
Thank you Nancy for stirring our thoughts and thank you Schuitema for the opportunity to be stirred!
Helen Minty is an Independent Management Consultant at the Learning Solutions Design. She recently attended a presentation by Nancy Kline and noticed the similarities of Kline’s content with Schuitema.