On the work front:

When I first started my coaching practice seven years ago, I used to be a bit wary of other coaches. After all, they were my competition (I thought) – I feared they might steal my potential clients if I shared too much. Then a funny thing happened: in quick succession, two completely different (and much more experienced) coaches offered to mentor me free of charge! They both shared so much wisdom about the new field we were all in that I couldn’t even digest the scope of their expertise at the time. But I was grateful.

I try to model this benevolence as current co-leader of my local coaching community. For instance, a colleague and I have lunch once a month to offer each other professional support around our biggest coaching challenges and how to handle them. And we also recommend each other when we know the fit with a new client is not right for us. This comes from the coaching philosophy of abundance– that there are enough clients for us all, so we can be relaxed with one another and not watch our backs around the competition. In that spirit, just about this time last summer, one of my early mentors agreed to meet me again over coffee and discuss where I might take my career in the future. I have had a more focused year because of that meeting, working on developing my website and first book with a greater clarity. “Coopetiton” has made me a better coach.

On the family front:

I think this hybrid expression also describes the relationship between my daughter (aged 6) and my son (aged 41/2) perfectly. They generally love each other and start each day playing games, and reading together, and helping one another get what they need when I’m busy. And then invariably it comes — the first scream of the day. “She took my toy”, “It’s not fair, I didn’t get a new book like he did,” “She didn’t have to eat all of HER waffle”, “MOM!….,” etc. and there is usually some chasing or pulling at each other as the initial harmony breaks into chaos. For me, this is the official start of the day, and they seem to go back and forth between the two poles all day. As I think back to my childhood, I remember this same dynamic with my two sisters. “Coopetition” it seems is a sibling “state of mind.”

Hope you are having a nice summer!