I can tend to compartmentalise. Switch off part of my brain depending on where I am or who I’m with or what I’m doing, then switch it back on at the appropriate time.
If I’m not being careful, I could do this with coaching. Get my ‘coaching’ hat on for coaching sessions, plug in and go, then switch that off the rest of the time.
One of my coachees very kindly praised the quality of my listening. She knows my wife and commented on how fortunate my wife must be to have someone at home who always listens to her with such attention! Even more kindly, my wife didn’t just laugh at this preposterous notion. Whisper it quietly, but I don’t always listen with the same degree of attention at home that I offer during coaching.
But why not? Coaching doesn’t just have to be something that I do, but something that is inherently in my nature. If anything, maybe taming my advice monster (see Bungay-Stanier) at home with my family is a greater skill than doing this during a formal coaching session.
I’m trying to work on this. To make coaching a habit rather than just a role or a job. For it not just to be something that I switch on or off, but something that I practice in all areas of life. Starting at home.