Never run before you can walk. Nicholas McKie says it’s good to know your
strengths first before you take on the world
partnership, this story of my embarrassing performance exam often
comes back to me. And there are many parallels with yoga, where it
is also so important to get the fundamentals right before attempting
any more complex positions.Managing change
Every day we are aware that the pace of change is increasing,
bombarding us with more information and new experiences
which can be hard for us to absorb. New technology connects us
effortlessly with ever more people from an increasing diversity of
backgrounds. While there are many upsides to this constant
change, it can also promote uncertainty, something that
we all find difficult to navigate through. At times there
seem to be so many moving parts it can be
exhausting, constantly evolving and working
to handle the unknown.
When I am coaching clients through
change of any kind, identifying and valuing theI
remember vividly my first performance exam at Music College.
It was like one of those ‘out of control’ nightmares most of us
have had. But this nightmare was real. Not only had I failed
to prepare my bassoon piece adequately but the Principal
Bassoonist of the London Symphony Orchestra was on the
exam panel. My performance started well, until the first technical
challenge. The panel stopped my performance, and asked me to
name the musical key of the piece. I answered Bb major correctly.
They then asked me to play the Bb major scale the piece was
based upon continuing the scale into the top ranges of the
bassoon. It was as if a powerful searchlight was shone on
my poor preparation.
The question came: how could I possibly play a
piece based around Bb major, without actually being
able to play the fundamental scale itself across all
ranges of the bassoon? Put another way, I was
attempting to run without first learning to walk!
When working with clients as part of a coachingScaling up
in times of
CHANGE
om mind