Release urgency and focus on impact

“Change needed to happen for kids yesterday. There’s no time for this.”

I’ve heard many iterations of this argument when talking to educators about the need to build relationships at the outset of a coaching relationship.

In all of these instances, my response is the same:

1. I hear your anger and sadness, and yes, kids deserved something much better yesterday.
2. And: building relationships doesn’t take a lot of time. It takes commitment, care, and curiosity.
3. If you want what’s best for kids in the long run, release urgency and focus on impact.

Urgent action might make us feel better in the moment because it can give us a sense of control. But if actions taken from a place of urgency aren’t resulting in the long term, sustained, transformative changes you want to see, then it’s time to explore other strategies.

In one of our upcoming Coaching For Equity workshops, you’ll learn to facilitate conversations that build relationships and create conditions for healing conversations.

If you want to hear an example of what building a relationship can sound like in a coaching conversation, check out this episode of the Bright Morning Podcast.

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