Borrowed Insights

I want to start with a big thank you to Julie Bodnar, a coaching participant in ALC’s Tuesday night class. During our check-in she mentioned something about borrowing the insight from someone who checked in earlier. It was like a bolt of lightening stuck my brain with the perfect term for a concept that I’ve been trying to name for the past decade.

First, before I go on to explain why borrowed insights are so great for coaches, I want to address the importance of finding a name. When you can find a name for something, and that name sticks, the name acts as a reference point. It’s easy to go back to that fleeting perspective if you’ve named it. It’s easy to recall your top three process values if they are named. It’s useful to name your inner-critic so you can address the self-criticism as something distant from you and get on with your life.

Names act as useful reference tools. Naming something gives you power to recall it again.

And Julie gave me the gift of naming a concept I’ve struggled to land on a name for, but now I’ve got it.

If you’re a coach, I know that you’ve had the experience of your client coming up with a brilliant idea or action to take. In the back of your mind you think, “Wow. I want to do that too!” And you take the brilliant idea or action steps and apply them in your own life.

We now know it’s called a borrowed insight. Watch the video!

And I know that coaches borrow insights from clients all the time, especially when you’re coaching dozens of people each week. It’s simply the nature of helping so many people create meaningful learning and take important, well-designed action steps. Enjoy the insights!

Also read: Optimal Stress Response