A recent post ib the True Love blog relates Tim Gallwey’s principles in the Inner Game of Work to coaching. Here is what the author says:
Was reading the above book and wanted to share part of what I have read about his experience gained from being a tennis coach…
Learning takes place within the student. The student makes the choice that ultimately control whether learning takes place or not. He then realised that the student was responsible for the learning choices and the coach was responsible for the quality of the external learning environment. Allowing the student to be more aware of the choices he was making and the reasons behind those choices was an essential part of this learning process. The student felt more in control and as a natural consequence was willing to accept more responsibility, and exercise greater initiative and creativity in achieving their goal.
Experience comes with three principles – awareness, choice and trust. Awareness was about knowing the present situation with clarity. Choice was about moving in a desired direction in the future. Trust was the essential link that enabled that movement.
The greater the external challenges accepted by an individual, team or company, the more important it is that there be a minimum of interference occurring from within. No matter what culture you work in, what kind of work you do, or what your present level of competence is, both inner and outer games are always going on. Progress will always be dependent on both.
They are like two legs of a person; one leg represents the external challenges and the other represents self. As a culture and current situation, we have placed too much emphasis on mastering the outer game and making changes in the external world. With science, technology, and the modern information explosion, we have developed a relatively long outer-game leg. But our understanding and control of the Inner Game has not evolved equally.
We have a profound need to better understand, and learn to make changes in the domain we call ourselves. This will only happen if we change in ways that are in harmony with our true nature, not at war with it.