I read the book Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore years ago. And I’m rereading it on Kindle. 

I have to since I gave it away along with over 200 other books after I experienced emptying my house using the Marie Kondo method. (By the way, I don’t regret it)

So, I don’t know if it’s because I read it in this book that I have practiced it so much in my 20 years as an executive. 

But the only thing I can say for sure is that it is worth having in your toolbox. 

What am I talking about? The intention before a meeting. 

Whether it’s an informal conversation with a colleague, a prepared meeting with your team, create your intention for the exchange. By definition, a discussion is dynamic, so anything can happen. But imagine your intention as “if everything went well, what would be the outcome of this exchange.” 

Done, you have “created your intention,” you start with the best possible mindset. And often, it creates good results. Why? 

Because your intention puts you in the right frame of mind, you bring your best energy. 

This is how Sir John Whitmore, the father of performance coaching, puts it in his book: 

Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance”

• Take two minutes of quiet time before your meeting to answer this question “If the meeting were wildly to exceed your expectations, what would happen in it?
• Free yourself from limiting thoughts (especially for difficult meetings) and “dream” of the best possible outcome. 
• Your intention is made.
• Re-do a point alone at the end (2 min) and see how your intention helped the meeting go well. 

I do it straightforwardly. Before the meeting, I write my intention in my notebook, and when I review my actions at the end, I make a quick point. This method helps me bring my best energy into the exchanges and allows me to increase my awareness. 

Try it and let me know what you think.

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