The development of digital skills to provide Coaching was catalysed in the last few years. Now, and in the near future, there will likely be accelerated
interest in moving Coaching outside, beyond the four walls of any room or virtual space provided by online meetings. This I celebrate and champion, as are many like-minded practitioners.
Learning from nature
The biosphere has been evolving longer, more sustainably and with greater interdependence than us humans. Nature can teach us. It needs transition, and in this way, normalises the process of change. We witness that growth and transformation cannot be rushed. Nature reminds us to be patient and graciously accept that the unfolding of what we desire will require time, nurturing and perseverance. We learn how to maintain equilibrium.
Outdoors, Coaching partnerships feel more equal
Nature is an effective leveller. It exists before the Coach and client(s) arrive and will remain long after the session ends. The natural environment is independent. But we can appreciate our symbiosis with it when we work in the open-air. Welcoming nature as a partner in Coaching, rather than merely utilising it as a setting, can be pivotal for Coach and client (Berger, 2009). The Coach co-facilitates with nature and experienced Coaches move further away from the client whose partnership with nature deepens.
A session might start with an open question such as: "What in the nature around us catches your attention?" or "How are your feelings or thoughts represented in the landscape?" Skilfully, facilitation by the Coach will loosely frame the flow of exchange between the client and nature. The Coach is present in the 'being' whilst nature does some of the 'doing' (Leary-Joyce, 2014). We can give ecology the space to Coach (Hawkins, 2020).
Co-creating a safe space in mother nature
Coaching conversations that take place outside in nature are positively impactful because they involve co-creating a space for people to feel heard, and with palpable attention from a Coach, there is potential for optimum discovery and exploration. Coaching held face to face in a room or online can make clients feel that they are more in control, and they might prefer this. However, qualified and accredited Coaches are trained to uphold integrity and ethics for sessions to be client-led, to create conducive conditions for psychological safety, and to ensure confidentiality whether inside or outdoors.
It can be easier for clients to reposition their perceptions when physically in different natural environments, and they are more able to gain clarity and make sense of unconscious barriers. This can be explained by a considerable ease to drop pretence when removed from the office or classroom, and away from peers. Affirmed by a client: “Coaching Outdoors cultivated confidence for me to remove my work mask.”
Coaching Outdoors is visceral and multi-sensory
Nature is living. It is a sensual place evoking work that involves all the senses and communication channels; physical, emotional, imaginative and spiritual (Abram, 1996; Roszak, 2001). Being a part of the wider ecology means that everything we intuit is inextricably linked to it. In the open-air we find compassion for self, and discernment about humankind and the earth we share.
Engagement with nature can help us to immerse in Coaching conversations. When Team Coaching in the countryside, I invited each member to walk for 10 minutes and to pick up something they were drawn to and bring it back. We sat on the grass while they shared; what they had collected, why it appealed and in what way they felt it was relevant to them. This stirred depth of thinking and reflection not so reachable had I asked them to do the same in a boardroom or a school assembly hall. Interacting with nature inspires what is possible.
Coaching Outdoors in nature reflects diversity
Given the uniqueness of human beings, and the constant change of nature, Coaching Outdoors cannot be replicated from one session to the next. This profundity adds to its enrichment. The attentional effect of nature and the abundant metaphors available outside resensitise and refocus clients so that they can explore their thoughts and feelings anew. In this external space, they can make physical and mental connections when exploring relationships and systems to recalibrate perspective. It can be difficult to gain insight in a building or internal space. Privileged to partner with diverse people of different ages, I can attest that Coaching Outdoors is equally valuable for children/young adults.
Where it feels comfortable is where best to think
My Coaching Outdoors for clients, teams or organisations, means the Coaching process takes place in an open-air environment where both the Coach and client feel comfortable. This is fundamental to ensure that available capacity to learn, discover, reflect, and make decisions is not compromised. Walking together brings physical health, and time to pause (sometimes sitting on a bench, on the grass or on swings) fosters rich self-awareness and awareness of how we relate to others and the world.
Reflection expands the field of awareness
Reflective thinking provides creativity, and the outcomes of outdoor sessions are further reaching: “In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks” (Muir, 1918). It is well-intended for facilitating people to explore wider, and deeper. When the executive function of the brain is overloaded, nature can unlock it by giving us space and its lens through which to see things differently.
One of my clients realised that Coaching Outdoors enabled him to, “perceive myself through different viewpoints when I was in different spaces in nature, and this provided a clearer understanding of my motivations and how to get out of my way.” Time outside, in nature especially, is an effective method of reconnecting to the task at hand, regulating cognitive control of behaviour, for example. This is a free resource of support for everyone.
Sustained change is the return on investment
The ROI of Coaching Outdoors yields lasting change and outcomes. What is learned becomes a committed action, and clients move forward along their identified pathway(s). "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better" (Einstein, 1940).
Being in nature brings powerful developmental and wellbeing benefits to Coaches, clients and businesses. It helps us to restore our brain's ability to generate new ideas, relieve stress, unlock solutions, calm anxiety, and increase focus and energy.
Then there is the higher purpose; perhaps a divine return on investment - once we engage with nature and develop a relationship with the planet, it can activate a desire to protect it. This forward-looking 'KPI' serves humanity by doing good whilst being well. If nature can speak to us and teach us, it seems wise to partner with it through Coaching, and care for it alongside ourselves and each other.
Coaching Outdoors is more than taking indoor methods outside. In my experience, and what I aspire for clients is that it is intentionally inviting nature to be a truly active participant as a partner in the process.
Please connect for Coaching Outdoors, other Coaching or Consulting.
Kirsty Knowles
Founder of Think Being®
Accredited Coach, Consultant & Author – Humanistic change for People, Leadership and Culture
References
Abram, D. (1997). The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World. USA: Vintage.
Berger R. (2009). Being in nature: an innovative framework for incorporating nature in therapy with older adults. Available at 10.1177/0898010108323010. Epub 2009 Jan 24. PMID: 19168889.
Burn, A. and Watson, A-M. (2020). Outdoor Eco Coaching. From Passmore, J. (2020) ed. The Coaches' Handbook: The Complete Practitioner Guide for Professional Coaches. London: Routledge.
Hawkins, Peter. (2020). Let the Wider Ecology Do The Coaching. Available at https://www.renewalassociates.co.uk/2020/11/let-the-wider-ecology-do-the-coaching/
Kaplan, S. Bergman, M.G. (2017). Directed Attention as a Common Resource for Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation. Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691609356784
Leary-Joyce, J. (2014). The Fertile Void: Gestalt Coaching at Work. UK: AoEC Press.
Roberts, L. (2022). Coaching Outdoors: The Essential Guide to Partnering with Nature in Your Coaching Conversations. Northwich: Practical Inspiration Publishing.
Roszak, T. (2001) ed. The Voice of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology. USA: Phanes Press.
