How does the InSideOut Initiative empower school communities. What is the goal of purpose-based athletics. Why are transformational coaches crucial for student-athlete development. How does ISOI measure its impact on interscholastic sports.
The InSideOut Initiative: A National Movement for Purpose-Based Athletics
The InSideOut Initiative (ISOI) is spearheading a transformative approach to high school sports across the United States. This national movement aims to revolutionize the way we perceive and implement athletics programs in educational settings. But what exactly does ISOI stand for, and how does it plan to achieve its ambitious goals?
At its core, ISOI is dedicated to empowering and equipping school communities to implement purpose-based athletics. This approach focuses on connecting student-athletes with transformational coaches within a culture of belonging, with the ultimate goal of fostering social-emotional and character development.
Key Elements of the InSideOut Approach
- Empowering school communities
- Implementing purpose-based athletics
- Connecting students with transformational coaches
- Creating a culture of belonging
- Focusing on social-emotional and character development
By redefining and reframing the educational value of athletics, ISOI seeks to use sports as a catalyst for developing the human potential of students. This approach goes beyond traditional metrics of success in sports, emphasizing personal growth and life skills that extend far beyond the playing field.
The Science Behind InSideOut: A Systematic Approach to Sports Culture
ISOI’s methodology is not based on intuition alone. The organization has developed a comprehensive, evidence-based system known as the InSideOut System and Philosophy. This approach is built on five key elements that form the foundation of their work in transforming high school sports culture.
What are these five key elements that make up the InSideOut approach? While the specific details are not provided in the original text, we can infer that they likely include:
- Purpose-driven athletics
- Transformational coaching
- Social-emotional learning
- Character development
- Community engagement
These elements work together to create a holistic approach to sports that prioritizes the overall development of student-athletes rather than just their athletic performance.
Measuring Impact: ISOI’s Commitment to Evidence-Based Results
How does ISOI ensure that its approach is effective? The organization is deeply committed to measuring and evaluating its impact. In 2020, ISOI launched a three-year systems-level longitudinal study to assess the role of interscholastic athletics in the social-emotional and character development of students.
This study aims to provide concrete evidence of the benefits of purpose-based athletics. By collecting and analyzing data over an extended period, ISOI can refine its approach and demonstrate the tangible benefits of its philosophy to schools, parents, and policymakers.
Key Aspects of ISOI’s Impact Measurement
- Longitudinal study design
- Focus on social-emotional competencies
- Evaluation of individual and organizational behavior change
- Assessment of implementation processes
- Analysis of Communities of Practice (CoPs)
By rigorously evaluating its methods and outcomes, ISOI ensures that its approach remains grounded in scientific evidence and continues to evolve to meet the needs of student-athletes and school communities.
Expanding Reach: ISOI’s National Presence and Partnerships
Since its inception, how has ISOI grown and expanded its influence? The organization has made significant strides in implementing its innovative blueprint for systemic change across 17 states. This widespread adoption speaks to the resonance of ISOI’s message and the effectiveness of its approach.
One of the key partnerships that has facilitated ISOI’s growth is its collaboration with the NFL. The organization has partnered with 20 NFL markets, leveraging the visibility and resources of professional football to support its mission in high school athletics.
Examples of ISOI State Partnerships
- Wisconsin: Partnership with Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and NFL
- New York: Collaboration with Section One Athletics and New York Giants
- Virginia: Recommitment from Virginia High School League with support from Washington Football Club
These partnerships demonstrate ISOI’s ability to work with diverse stakeholders, from state athletic associations to professional sports teams, in pursuit of its goals.
The Role of Transformational Coaches in Student-Athlete Development
Central to ISOI’s philosophy is the concept of transformational coaching. But what exactly is a transformational coach, and why are they so crucial to the development of student-athletes?
Transformational coaches go beyond teaching sport-specific skills. They serve as mentors and role models, focusing on the holistic development of their athletes. These coaches understand that their influence extends far beyond the field or court, shaping the character and values of the young people they work with.
Characteristics of Transformational Coaches
- Emphasis on personal growth and character development
- Creation of a supportive and inclusive team culture
- Focus on life skills that transcend sports
- Commitment to building strong, trusting relationships with athletes
- Ability to inspire and motivate beyond athletic performance
By connecting student-athletes with these transformational coaches, ISOI aims to create a ripple effect of positive change that extends from individual athletes to entire school communities and beyond.
Addressing Child Maltreatment: ISOI’s Response to the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for student-athletes, including increased vulnerability to child maltreatment due to isolation from usual sources of support. How has ISOI responded to this critical issue?
Recognizing the trust and influence that coaches have in young athletes’ lives, ISOI has joined with other national organizations to raise awareness about vulnerable children who may have suffered maltreatment during the pandemic. This initiative underscores the importance of coaches as not just athletic mentors, but as vital support systems for young people.
ISOI’s Approach to Addressing Child Maltreatment
- Raising awareness among coaches and school communities
- Providing resources for identifying signs of maltreatment
- Emphasizing the role of coaches as trusted adults
- Collaborating with national organizations to amplify the message
- Offering guidance on creating safe, supportive environments for athletes
By addressing this critical issue, ISOI demonstrates its commitment to the overall well-being of student-athletes, extending its influence beyond the realm of sports performance.
The InSideOut Team: Leadership in Purpose-Based Athletics
Who are the driving forces behind the InSideOut Initiative? The organization is led by a team of experienced professionals dedicated to transforming the culture of high school sports. Two key figures stand out in ISOI’s leadership:
Joe Ehrmann
Joe Ehrmann brings a wealth of experience to ISOI as an author, coach, and former professional football player. His accolades include:
- All-American football player
- Syracuse University All-Century Team member
- Baltimore Colts’ Man of the Year Award recipient
- NFL’s Ed Block Courage Award recipient
- Named “The Most Important Coach in America” by Parade Magazine
Ehrmann’s background as both a player and a coach gives him unique insights into the potential of sports to shape character and transform lives.
Jody Redman
Jody Redman complements Ehrmann’s athletic expertise with her background in organizational leadership and strategic planning. Her contributions to ISOI include:
- Nationally recognized speaker and facilitator
- Expert in strategic planning and organizational design
- Focus on creating cultures of belonging through system-level interventions
- Passion for leadership development and organizational transformation
Together, Ehrmann and Redman form a powerful leadership team that combines athletic experience with organizational expertise, driving ISOI’s mission forward.
Building Sustainability: Best Practices from ISOI Partners
How are ISOI’s partner organizations working to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of purpose-based athletics? One example comes from the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Foundation.
When Matt Wolfert became IHSAA Foundation president in August 2017, the organization implemented several strategies to build sustainability for the InSideOut approach:
- Integrating ISOI principles into existing programs and initiatives
- Developing a network of trained facilitators to support implementation
- Creating resources and materials tailored to Indiana’s specific needs
- Establishing ongoing training and support systems for coaches and administrators
- Measuring and evaluating the impact of ISOI principles on student-athletes
This example from Indiana demonstrates how ISOI’s partners are working to embed purpose-based athletics into the fabric of their state’s sports culture, ensuring its longevity and impact.
As the InSideOut Initiative continues to grow and evolve, it remains committed to its core mission of transforming lives through purpose-based sports. By empowering school communities, connecting student-athletes with transformational coaches, and focusing on social-emotional and character development, ISOI is reshaping the landscape of high school athletics across the United States. Through rigorous evaluation, strategic partnerships, and a dedication to evidence-based practices, the organization is working to create a lasting impact that extends far beyond the playing field, nurturing the next generation of well-rounded, purpose-driven individuals.
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INSPIRING, CATALYZING AND EQUIPPING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO TRANSFORM lives THROUGH PURPOSE-BASED sports
The InSideOut Initiative (ISOI) is a national movement that empowers and equips school communities to implement purpose-based athletics by connecting student-athletes to transformational coaches in a culture of belonging, for their social-emotional character development.
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2022 Mid-Year Report
Now in its 7th year, the InSideOut Initiative continues to develop and implement effective strategies and publish their evidenced-based findings as they help reclaim the educational and social-emotional value of youth and high school sports.
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A Systems Level Approach to Create a Purpose-Based High School Sports Culture
The Science of InSideOut is a recent publication outlining the five key elements that make up InSideOut’s approach. This report will inform future longitudinal evaluations, measuring outcomes associated with social and emotional competencies, individual- level and organizational-level behavior change, and InSideOut’s implementation process, including Communities of Practice (CoPs).
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CHILD MALTREATMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC
Coaches are among the most trusted adults and mentors in a young athlete’s life. We are joining with other national organizations to raise awareness about the vulnerable children who may have suffered maltreatment during the pandemic when they were isolated from usual sources of help.
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The InSideOut Initiative (ISOI) is a national movement that empowers and equips school communities to implement purpose-based athletics by connecting student-athletes to transformational coaches in a community of belonging for their social-emotional and character development. Through the evidence-based InSideOut System and InSideOut Philosophy, school communities redefine and reframe the educational value of athletics and activities as a catalyst to develop the human potential of students.
Impact
ISOI has developed, evaluated, and implemented its innovative blueprint for systemic change across 17 states, serving school communities to create cultural change in education and interscholastic sports.
In 2020, ISOI launched a three-year systems-level longitudinal study to measure the role of interscholastic athletics in the development of the social-emotional and character development of students.
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Team
Joe Ehrmann
Joe Ehrmann is an author, coach, All-American football player, former professional football player, Syracuse University alumnus, and recipient of myriad awards and honors, such as Syracuse University’s All-Century Team, the Baltimore Colts’ Man of the Year Award, the NFL’s Ed Block Courage Award Recipient, and “The Most Important Coach in America” by Parade Magazine.
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Jody Redman
Jody Redman is a nationally recognized speaker, facilitator, author, and thought leader on strategic planning, organizational design and transformation, and leadership development. She is a passion-driven innovator who has focused her professional career on creating cultures of belonging through system-level interventions.
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See the Whole Team
News
Wisconsin Seeks to Create a “Purpose-Based” Sports Culture
The InSideOut Initiative launching in Wisconsin in partnership with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, NFL…
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The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Section One Athletics Seeks to Create “Purpose-Based” Sports Culture
The InSideOut Initiative launches in partnership with Section One Athletics, NFL Foundation, and the New York Giants SEPTEMBER…
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Faces of InSideOut: Barney Ehrmann
Barney Ehrmann is the InSideOut Initiative’s Movement Leader and Trainer, and is responsible to provide strategic leadership…
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InSideOut Best Practices: Indiana’s IHSAA Foundation Builds Sustainability
When Matt Wolfert stepped into his first day on the job as IHSAA Foundation president in August 2017, the organization rolled out.
..
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You cannot create a movement; You can only prepare for one.
A word study from my seminary days seems more relevant today than ever. The assignment was to contrast two Greek words for time:…
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Virginia High School League Recommits to InSideOut Work: Post-Pandemic Momentum Builds
“This opportunity is significant for us and we’re so grateful for the support of the Washington Football Club, the NFL…
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Impact – InSideOut Initiative
Since its founding, the InSideOut Initiative has been proud to partner with 20 NFL markets across 17 states, working with school communities to create transformational change in interscholastic athletics across the country.
The InSideOut Initiative is not a program, it is an evidence-based, multi-year partnership that aligns school communities around the educational and prosocial value of Purpose-Based Sports by:
- Connecting Student Athletes to Transformational Coaches
- In a Culture of Belonging
- For their Social-Emotional, Character Development.
The InSideOut Initiative develops the Five Competencies of Transformational Leaders and Coaches; self-awareness, self-management, relational development, social awareness, moral and ethical decision-making, equipping them with the skills and resources necessary to positively impact the social-emotional, character of their student-athletes.
InSideOut States
View the map to find the NFL teams partnering with the InSideOut Initiative.
Click on a state for details
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Phase 4
- Implemented
- Longitudinal Study
Reports
The Faces project seeks to profile and feature transformational leaders—individuals living the InSideOut Philosophy and implementing the InSideOut System in their daily interactions.
The project serves two primary purposes: To highlight the great work being done by transformational leaders, and to help aspiring leaders develop best practices and find ways to apply key strategies in their own school communities.
Profiles
Harrison High School
West Lafayette, IN
Jerry Galema
95 Coaches | 950 Student Athletes
I have seen changes in our coaches — sideline decorum, leading their team in team meetings after a loss has been different.”
– Jerry Galema
Teach the Goals and Purpose Common Language
Jerry Galema from Harrison High School and Ryan Walden from McCutchen HS met with the school board to share what they are doing with the InSideOut Intiative. The school board was very intrigued with how much the two ADs have accomplished thus far and are 100% supportive.
A week after the meeting, one of Jerry’s teams was defeated in a high school tournament. The superintendent was there and came up to Jerry after the game saying, “you got beat, but the other team’s coach seems very transactional.”
Create a Collective Transformational Purpose Statement
Jerry hosted meetings for all of his coaches to work together on developing a collective transformational purpose statement. The coaches picked the core values that they wanted to use and used the artistic skills of some of their coaches to develop an acronym and design for the collective transformational purpose statement that is centered around Harrison High School’s logo.
Currey Ingram Academy
Brentwood, TN
Kelly Fish
20 Coaches | 41 Student Athletes
I love the tangible takeaways of InSideOut. One specific strategy I brought back was having my coaches create leadership purpose statements.
Our collective goal is to memorize them and live by them.”
– Kelly Fish
Our collective goal is to memorize them and live by them.”Lead coaches through the development of Individual Transformational Purpose Statements
Kelly used ISOI’s “Why Do I Lead?” worksheet to lead all of her coaches through the process of creating their own individual transformational purpose statements. Kelly explained, “Our goal was to each have a purpose statement that we could memorize and live by.”
Create a Collective Transformational Purpose Statement
A collective transformational purpose statement is being developed within Currey Ingram Academy’s athletic program and will be used to revamp the program’s mission statement.
Northfield High School
Northfield, MN
Joel Olson
132 Coaches | 965 Student Athletes
Don’t be afraid to not know the answer and don’t run away from the hard decisions.
– Joel Olson
They never get easier, but always think about “What is our purpose?” When you can go to bed at night knowing that you made the right decision because it was in the best interest of the kids in our program you know you are living out of your purpose.”Collectively Define Success
At Northfield High School, coaches participate in a mid-season meeting to review how they’re doing according to their collective transformational purpose statement. The coaches then have a postseason meeting to tie it all together. Every Friday, Joel sends a Google survey to every in-season head coach. This Google survey includes five questions: 1. What is going well? 2. What is not going well? 3. Are there any kids you want to highlight? 4. How are you doing? 5. Is there something I need to look into for you?
Create a Coach’s Job Description based on the Definition of Success
Joel embedded the four ISOI key questions into interviews for new hires.
It allows him to learn more about a potential coach’s background, why they want to be a coach at his school, what they value most about coaching, how they coach the whole person, and what are the top three things they would communicate with parents and athletes if they got the job. Joel and his interview team take this information to determine if a coach is a good fit for their program and amongst their colleagues.
Share Your Journey
To be highlighted in the Faces publication, please fill out this form.
From the field
Todd Vesely
Executive Director Athletic Department, Fort Worth Independent School District
The InSideOut Initiative is a vital tool in helping our organization help young people. The purpose of athletics is to develop young people, to enhance their life experience and to give them opportunities that they would have never had without athletics. The Initiative guides and supports this quest.
InSideOut has made a difference, a powerful difference in our coaches, our students and our entire organization. Special thanks to the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL Foundation for their support to FWISD Athletics.Josh Corey
Football Outreach and Community Relations Manager, Tennessee Titans
Implementing the InSideOut Initiative had been very beneficial in our state by bringing educational stakeholders together to start the conversation on how to change the culture of interscholastic athletics. We have been very encouraged and impressed at the level of support and buy-in from school superintendents, school boards, administrators, athletic directors and coaches across Tennessee.
The stage is set for us to bring meaningful, impactful and sustainable change that will aid in the growth and development of student-athletes throughout our state.Dr. Billy Haun
Executive Director, Virginia High School League
The InSideOut Initiative is having a tremendous impact on the lives of student-athletes in Virginia.
Our collaboration with the Virginia School Board Association, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals and the partnership with the Washington Football Team has been critical in helping foster purpose-based athletics programs that support the social-emotional and character development of our more than 190,000 participants.InsideOut Best Practices
To celebrate the work being done by InSideOut partners, we highlight their values-based leadership and culture-changing efforts here on the blog.
InSideOut Best Practices: Indiana’s IHSAA Foundation Builds Sustainability
When Matt Wolfert stepped into his first day on the job as IHSAA Foundation president in August 2017, the organization rolled out…
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Recognition Event: Transformational Leaders & Coaches Celebration
On November 25, 2017, the Minnesota State High School League hosted the Transformational Leaders & Coaches Celebration,…
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InSideOut Best Practices: Houston Texans Coach of the Week
To celebrate the work being done by InSideOut partners, we’re highlighting their values-based leadership and culture-changing…
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InSideOut Best Practices: Woodridge Local School District in Ohio
We love hearing directly from leaders implementing InSideOut strategies in their programs and learning about how becoming an…
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InSideOut Best Practices: Tippecanoe School Corporation in Indiana
It’s always great to hear directly from leaders implementing InSideOut strategies in their programs and how becoming an.
..
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Improving School Culture Through Education-Based Athletics
As AD at Hibbing High School, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work with many transformational leaders. This year, we…
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An insider’s view helps to achieve better results in coaching and therapy
The combination of coaching with therapy in my case gives a phenomenally effective result when working with clients from the business environment. Any strategy session demonstrates this to the fullest. It has cost me so many years to do business myself to now look at all this with an insider’s eye. Having experience “on the other side” greatly simplifies the work, especially when I can no longer be attached to it and allow myself to be in a non-expert position.
In this sense, this insider experience helps both in building trust and just in everyday work, because the dialogue easily expands to wider contexts. You can not only discuss the features of relationships, but also their specific applications in relation to corporate business processes, the business processes and skills themselves, immerse yourself in management reporting or strategy, which is important in dialogues within the financial or sales environment, or when moderating boards of directors.
And the people there are very different, almost like different races. They just think differently. And they have such different interests that they are ready to defend that systemic family therapy in this aspect throws up many parallels.
And when I draw parallels, I remember how much earlier I was centered on myself and even the very idea that I could be wrong caused me a strong rejection.
Moreover, the same idea of being wrong in work was perceived by me as completely normal – that is, I made mistakes, taking them into account and correcting them in that context, but in my inner space I was infallible. I was wrong then, I saw it and thought that I just didn’t try hard enough or didn’t know how to do something. But I didn’t even have ideas about the importance of my internal state or some kind of brain settings that were knocked down in childhood. And this is a real case.
Now I encounter this effect almost daily from the outside and observe the division of clients into four clearly different categories:
– The first are logical .
They take into account all kinds of KPIs and formal decision-making rules. They only trust facts and proven recipes. Even with an outwardly relatively calm attitude to risk, they almost do not take it in their work.
– The second are emotional and inconsistent . They also take into account any business mathematics like P&L, but rather on an emotional level. For them, the concept of “inner world” sounds far from meaningless words and they are actually interested in what is happening inside their own “I”. They, like children, can be driven away because of their failures, but at the same time they are more adaptive. And at the same time, formal logic and a career are very difficult for them.
– Third aggressive . They may or may not know formal logic, be or not be emotional, but they have an inner desire to dominate with all the ensuing consequences.
– Quadruple passive . They are no worse, just living in their inner world, where they are definitely better off than outside.
At the same time, they can be practically brilliant people, but they often find themselves in an exploited position. And this is not only about autistic effects, but about something that is beyond their rational interests.
This difference is very clear in the literature you read. When I listen to what has been read over the past year, I hear that the first group reads mainly professional literature, while the second group does not refuse fiction either, with many additions that are interesting in themselves for anthropological purposes, the third reads success stories and business literature, and the fourth is narrowly professional and fiction.
Everyone gets their own development track and this is important. Especially when it turns out for several times to solve a problem that has not been solved for years. Just the right questions, general context and great interest.
Best,
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how not only to filter information, but also to benefit from its flow — Education on vc.ru
The fact that readers’ interest in non-fiction literature has increased significantly in the past few years has been reported by publishers, marketers, and Internet ratings. This is quite understandable: constant work on oneself is the trend of our time, and in the desire to become the best version of ourselves, we strive to fill the mental and spiritual space with meaningful, developing information leading to self-knowledge. It’s no secret that no matter how smart a textbook is, live communication with its author always enriches much more. Non-fiction provides the very opportunity to interact not with a dry theory, but directly with an accomplished personality, with its philosophy and success story. At the same time, the task for the reader is not to drown in a sea of information, absorbing tons of other people’s knowledge, but to extract the maximum meaning from the book.
And, importantly, to be able to apply them in your life. How? With the help of certain tools of communication with the author, the text and oneself.
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90% of startups cease to exist due to the fact that the main carrier – the author of the idea – considers it self-sufficient and does not want to adapt its own vision to the needs of customers. The generator itself worked out a brilliant idea as much as possible and enough. Now he faces the next goal – to receive a reward for his labors, efforts, practical efforts. The thought that these works may not be very necessary for a solvent buyer does not occur to a startup. Therein lies the key contradiction. After all, it would be logical for him not to close himself within the framework of his own request and interests, but to go beyond them and find out what people breathe, what needs need to be satisfied, and why spend so much time on something that no one asks you about and, perhaps, will never ask you?
But the bearer of the idea promotes his stubbornness (and entrepreneurship implies consistent perseverance over a long period of time), as a result of which he encounters a wall of misunderstanding, exhaustion of resources, and in most cases the idea remains misunderstood and unaccepted in order to be developed and live its own life.
There is what is called a “wall” in the marathon, a mental obstacle generated by the wrong distribution of forces and the mistakes of the preparatory stage.
Usually the “wall” covers the runner when there is not so much left to the finish line – approximately at the 38th kilometer. The pace at this distance may not fall, but the athlete finds himself in a mental trap, assuring that the finish line will never come. Muscles refuse to obey, fatigue sets in such that it is easier to lie down and die. All this is akin to the failure of a startup.
Demand, on the one hand, can be born from a direct appeal, a request for a service or help. And on the other hand, from observing the space, the ability to isolate the real needs of customers from the information noise.
One day I noticed that my daughter, due to her naivety, considers it almost her duty to take the initiative and work ahead of the curve, coming to the aid of someone who needs it: she tries to suggest something to her classmates, add, pass on, and so on.
After these observations, I realized that it was time to talk to her, because I myself am convinced that it is necessary to help only in those cases when they sincerely ask. So I explained to my daughter: if they don’t ask, then it’s not necessary, the need for your help can exist exclusively in your picture of the world, and people simply don’t need it. And do you know how it ended? Once we were approaching the Slavyansky Boulevard metro station and saw a beggarly dressed woman loudly begging for alms. The daughter looked at her and said: “Mom, she is not sincerely asking for help, otherwise she could go, for example, to school – at least there you can earn money for food in the school cafeteria.”
Books for me are also a kind of personal startup, a way to promote my own innovative ideas and discoveries. Writing, subsequent design and publication of a work is a real production, quite complex and very reminiscent of the launch of a project with its scaling from concept to circulation.
I treat my book “The Inevitable Process of Exploring Space” exactly as a product, because I care if it gathers dust on the shelf in the store or if it is bought up like hot cakes and translated into different languages. Yes, I want my book to be a popular, useful and high-quality product, so I carefully listen to what people around say about it, what moods prevail and what thoughts it is important to convey to people today.
Since December, I have literally plunged headlong into the writing process. The manuscript is read by a tutor (asks questions to the text), mentors watch (also ask questions), producers evaluate. Almost every one of them, after reading the text, was interested in the same thing: “Will there be assignments for the chapters?”
– Assignments? I rolled my eyes in surprise. “This is not a children’s book. This is a Book, a serious work, for successful people who have reached their ceiling and are looking for new ways for development. What other tasks? What, readers should feel like schoolchildren who are obliged to do “homework”?
In general, I decided that assignments were an extra tool for my serious and complete book, and I easily parted with the idea that I would also have to become a tutor.
But recently, one of the producers again brought me back to this topic:
– Christina, such a book implies that the reader will be able to immediately apply your findings, your experience to themselves. Look back at your life and try to analyze it with the tools you give the reader. If after each chapter you offer him tasks: exercises, tests, questions, then your work as the creator of a unique concept will be more effective.
“I should have listened to my mentors from the very beginning,” I thought, already realizing that I almost joined the ranks of unclaimed geniuses. “This is what the market is asking for, so you must definitely respond.”
I have decided to address questions to my imaginary future reader at the end of each chapter. Having started practicing the format of such a correspondence interview, I suddenly caught myself thinking that I really like this activity. As it turned out, it’s not so easy to convey the essence of what I’m talking about through artistic images with the utmost laconism and concreteness in a few resonant questions.
But the very word “tasks” somehow strained with its official sound. I think that’s why I initially rejected the very idea suggested by my teachers and producers.
– Maybe, instead of “task”, use other options that reflect the coaching process? – suggested Ekaterina Inozemtseva, who owns almost all the secrets and techniques of writing a book.
Having adopted all available resources of the “great and mighty”, she came up with variant after variant:
– questions to herself;
– five minutes of internal dialogue;
– self-coach;
– mastering the inner space;
– time to think;
– dialogue with yourself…
– Of course, this is coaching! – it dawned on me. All insider information that is conveyed in the book is important to convey to the reader through his experience. And coaching is famous for asking the right questions to bring out the answers the person already has. You just need to look a little deeper and fully imagine the process.
This is how a new term in writing was born –
COACHMENT (from “coaching” and “mentor”) is a fragment of the book that becomes a tool for transferring insight from the author to the reader through questions.
At the same time, there can be a great many such fragments and paragraphs, and not only in a book. Friendfeed articles, just comments, casual conversations, and so on – all this is also coaching, food for thought, a message from outside. But in order to fully master the space, it is not enough just to receive confirmation of its existence – it is important to ask ourselves questions about how relevant the information heard or seen is for our own experiences and goals.
I named this space exploration tool COUMENT – from “coaching” (in the sense of the ability to ask questions) and “commentary” – any information that can create additional value.
Reading books is not just development, but development with getting deep insights on an ongoing basis.
Do you remember how long it took us to analyze the ideas of the works of great writers in literature lessons? Why? Because exposure to ideas and concepts is a growth factor.
It is difficult to imagine the process of growth without reading conceptual books and not streaming information about Samsara. It is no coincidence that the most successful people who have reached the heights, as a rule, are well-read and educated.
But you can read in different ways. There are by no means a few who have swallowed 100 million books and even memorized them. Such people talk a lot, pour out quotes, but they themselves are not really capable of doing anything. And so everyone instinctively bypasses them.
How to avoid the syndrome of an excellent student? Maybe introduce a tool that will allow you to turn the books you read into coment ?
Asking the right questions and commenting means receiving information literally from the surrounding ether: from any life situation, any image, film, any spoken or written word.
The point is to listen to the space and absorb it. Understand key signals and respond to them through the lens of your values and goals. And if necessary, then update the system of values, depending on the transformation of time and space.
I have a perpetual, that is, eternal subscription (in reality, up to 100 years) to a wonderful resource – the largest electronic library of Samarri non-fiction books – Smart Reading. In addition to the rather attractive format, I like that the creators of the library offer to pass tests after reading the summary of the book, allowing the reader to understand how much he has mastered the material. On the other hand, the resource serves as an excellent basis for the development of the coach himself, who, like any good psychologist, must in turn undergo psychotherapy himself, otherwise the principle of freshness and renewal will be violated.
The next level of mastering the text in non-fiction books is understanding the material given through your experience, goals and value system.
It’s one thing to read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it’s another thing to ask yourself questions from your own experience to understand what level I, the reader, am at.
Coaching today is one of the most expensive development tools. A session with a coach starts from 50,000 (and this is a beginner coach), and, as a rule, communication is not limited to one meeting. For a qualitative solution of a business problem, at least 5-6 sessions are needed. And to solve life situations, coaching can last longer.
At the same time, psychological tasks are time-consuming. Just as a healthy child cannot be born before nine months, so many results are achieved through maturation, a sequence of certain processes. For example, reading books keeps the nervous system at such a speed of development that any complex change in problem solving can occur much faster and without the intervention of outside specialists. To do this, it is important to ask questions about your experience, goals, and value system.
