What do you do when you discover a program that excites you? A program with ideas, tools, and techniques that match what you have been doing intuitively for years without having a clear framework for them. You register of course!
This was me last November. In my search for resources related to conversations and community, and connecting, I came across Judith Glaser’s work on Conversational Intelligence for Coaches (C-IQ). I was excited. I pondered it for about a week, considered my options, debated how I was going to pay for it… and took a leap of faith based on my 2017 mantra of positive abundance.
I enrolled in this 6-month, intensive program. And WOW, what a ride it has been!
When I started the program, my personal vulnerabilities and negative self-talk kept getting in my way. “I am not qualified to take this program. I’m not a coach!” And yet, there was such great value in the information being shared and the ideas resonated so fully with me, that I couldn’t not continue.
Six weeks into the program and I was overwhelmed with the information being shared. I struggled to figure out how the ideas being presented connected with one another—how the individual pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Judith and her team recognized this sense of overwhelm among many of us; whew, I wasn’t alone. They assured us that as we integrated the ideas into our daily lives and our work, they’d nudge themselves in this direction and that until they fell into place.
Soon after that, Judith’s leadership team suggested that we used the private C-IQ Facebook group to connect with others and start mastermind groups where we could share ideas, discuss how to implement the C-IQ tools, and otherwise support each other. I quickly learned that every one of us was struggling to keep up with the volume of information being thrown at us.
I soon found bi-weekly mastermind groups grounded the information we were learning; the discussion brought the theory into practice. Suddenly the pieces started to jiggle into place (as promised). The connections I was making with other course participants reinforced that I was in the right place—and that my contributions brought new insights to others.
As I gained confidence in the tools and techniques, opportunities to integrate the conversation dashboard, ladder of conclusions, three levels of conversation—or any of the other practical, hands on tools I’d been learning—began to emerge; both in my daily life (how I communicated with my family) and in my work life (the questions I asked my clients).
Now, four months later, I have a great toolkit of tools and techniques at my fingertips to help my clients improve their conversations.
I’m excited about how I will use the different types of questions during mastermind groups, in stakeholder conversations, or as part of strategic planning to explore ideas and delve more deeply. I see ways to integrate the conversational dashboard into conversations I’m having with others to gain clarity around trust levels and explore how trust can be strengthened. I’ve already explored the three levels of conversation with a local networking group and explored how when we shift our approach to a conversation, we can change the outcomes that are realized. And these are only a few of the tools that are now in my toolkit.
With the completion of this program, I can officially check off one of my professional development goals for 2017: earning the title Enhanced Practitioner, Conversational Intelligence. Yee Haa! Progress feels great.
As I enter September, I’m looking for opportunities to apply these new skills with clients.
Faced with a tough conversation? Looking for ideas on how to engage your team differently? Ask your questions below and I’ll provide you with some tips from my Conversational Intelligence toolkit.
Looking forward to working with you to co-create a conversation.
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Angie McLeod, HIP Strategic Consulting is skilled Facilitator and Business Strategist who uses Conversational Intelligence tools and techniques to help her clients improve their communication and planning processes.