A client recently described to me how, when tackling some unruly undergrowth in her garden, she came across a bearded iris. She was able to clear its way so that it could find the light and sun it needed in order to grow, and to bloom.

For my client, this was a powerful metaphor for our coaching relationship. She was beset by competing priorities, and never short of ideas, but had given herself the gift of time and space and a ‘thinking partner’, so that she could find her own ‘bearded iris’ by improving her focus on the things that would help her achieve her goals.

This was also a lovely reminder for me that much of the alchemy that happens during the process of coaching, happens when the coach isn’t even present. It is the thoughts that occur between sessions that are often the most powerful, and sustainable. But by asking insightful questions, such as “What has shifted for you, or in your thinking, since our last session?” coaching can capture and explore those thoughts and move them to action. So that the bearded iris can come into the light and bloom. 

If you need help to find your own bearded iris, please get in touch at louise@ediyia.co.uk.