#81: George Warren – The Coaching Industry is Ignoring Reality

George Warren describes “growth through discomfort” as a key theme in his life and in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, he lays down a challenge to the coaching industry to step out of its comfort zone and explore questions that might challenge the very foundations of our work.

While many of us place the principles of being client-led and non-directive at the centre of our practice, George views coaching through a lens of universal interconnectedness where there is always more than one voice to consider.

Drawing upon Gestalt psychology, Eastern mysticism and his experiences as a solo traveller in the Middle East, George’s work highlights the unique role coaching can play in finding answers to some of society’s most pressing questions, from global conflicts to the loneliness epidemic.

In this conversation with host Neil Mackinnon, George describes how his innate emotional sensitivity became a “nuclear reactor”, fuelling him along a path from the world of luxury travel sales to the cultivation of a deeper connection with the environment through coaching.

In this episode, George and Neil also talk about:

The complimentary tools of support and challenge

Why George believes coaches do not need a niche

How supervision can become “an amphitheatre of profound learning”

The “beautiful gift” of ignorance when working with new clients

George ends this episode by placing coaching at a fascinating crossroads, describing contrasting futures that might lie ahead depending on the choices we all make in the coming years.

- Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore -https://www.performanceconsultants.com/resources/coaching-for-performance-book/

- The GROW Model - https://www.performanceconsultants.com/resources/the-grow-model/

- Animas - https://www.animascoaching.com/

- Anita Rolls (https://careerintelligenceacademy.com/about-us/) and Karen Smart (https://www.aoec.com/author-page/karen-smart-author/) at AOEC

- AoEC https://www.aoec.com/

- ILM https://www.i-l-m.com/

ICF https://coachingfederation.org/

- AC https://www.associationforcoaching.com/

- EMCC https://emccuk.org/Public/default.aspx

- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der

Kolk https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-

score

- AOCS https://www.linkedin.com/company/aocs-association-of-coaching-

supervisors/

- Myles Downey on The Coach's Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/69-myles-downey-what-is-effective-coaching-performance-coaching-when-to-be-directive-changing-clients-maps-of-reality-and-more

- Ian McGilchrist https://channelmcgilchrist.com/

- The Edge of Coaching https://edgeofcoaching.substack.com/

- George Warren Coaching https://www.georgewarrencoaching.com/

- BACP Article https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/coaching-

today/january-2024/where-is-the-humanity/

- Coaching in the Climate Crisis, Association for

Coaching https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/CITCC_podcast_ser

ies

- CCA climate coaching - This this might be the AoEC Certificate in Climate Coaching https://www.aoec.com/programmes/certificate-climate-coaching/

- Hetty Einzig https://hettyeinzig.co.uk/