Today is Thanksgiving in the US, so I’d like to start by saying Happy Thanksgiving to all my mates from and in the US.
I really love the idea of a whole nation of people taking pause to celebrate and give thanks — to be grateful for the good things in life. In my book, this is a good thing.
I so wish that Thanksgiving Day could be exported or imported as a global holiday or practice. As a concept, that would be lovely!
It must be possible, right? If we can export and import the day after Thanksgiving — i.e., Black Friday — then surely we can do the same with Thanksgiving Day itself.
Not sure if this will ever happen, but I’m going to take a few minutes anyway to offer some reflections and some “Thanks!”
And for some reason, this year I’d like to offer my thanks to the Teachers in my life.
Owning the “Teacher” in me is part of a process of self-awareness that I’m currently working through, and in that process I’ve met some AMAZING teachers who have compassionately and wisely guided me on this part of my journey.
I’m not talking about my school teachers here — although I have many of them to thank.
I’m talking about the teachers who have guided my transition from a technical, solution-focused engineer to the Leadership Coach / Team Coach / Dialogue Practitioner I am today.
My Recent Journey With Teachers
2018 – Learning & Development Leadership (Nyenrode University, NL)
I’ll start in 2018 with the International Masterclass in Learning & Development Leadership at Nyenrode University in the Netherlands.
I was part of the first (or second!) alumni group to join this program, and it was BRILLIANTLY led by Prof. Nick van Dam and Jan Rijken.
I had worked in the L&D field instinctively for the previous 9 years, and this program helped me reflect on the past, focus on the present, and lead Learning teams and strategies going forward. It also opened up a wonderful global network of fantastic Learning / HR / Talent professionals who I still learn with and from to this day.
2020 – The 6 Team Conditions (Prof. Ruth Wageman & Krister Lowe)
In 2020 I shifted my focus more towards Teams and followed the 6 Team Conditions accreditation program with Prof. Ruth Wageman and Krister Lowe.
Ruth and Krister have so much knowledge, experience, and complementary skill in the work of teams — and they share it with such warmth and abundance.
Using Ruth’s 6 Team Conditions framework, I started facilitating many teams inside organisations, and soon enough Team Leaders began asking if I could also give them 1:1 coaching.
2021–2023 – Co-Active Coaching Journey (CTI)
So from 2021 to 2023, I dove into a deep, two-year Co-Active Coaching journey.
I could tag many of the faculty, but special thanks go to Véronique Pigeon and Michelle Chelo for their non-judgmental, supportive way of being as I experimented with coaching others and, simultaneously, deeply transformed my own way of being.
2023–2024 – Team Coaching Studio (TCS) Accredited Programme
Next, from 2023 to 2024, I followed the Team Coaching Studio accredited Team Coaching programme under the guidance of Georgina Woudstra and Allard de Jong.
Throughout this 9-month journey I really came to know, feel, and be a Team Coach.
I developed my beliefs, my stance, and practiced holding space for teams — meeting them where they are. I also learned the differences between training, facilitating, team coaching (all hats I still wear), and consulting — a hat I chose to leave behind.
2023–2024 – ADWOW & Professional Dialogue
Finally, in late 2023 / 2024, I completed the ADWOW programme with the Academy of Professional Dialogue and learned under the guidance of the Dialogue Jedi Masters, Peter Garrett and Jane Ball.
Here I can truly say: I found my tribe.
And it was here that I decided to take a pause from training programmes and give myself the space to see what emerges.
Gratitude
Looking back, I have learned and developed so much under the guidance of these teachers. They have helped me become the professional I am today.
Deep, deep gratitude and thanks to you all.
And of course, some gratitude to the “Teacher” who lives and learns alongside me every step of the way. Elsa and I are ici2learn — a French/English play on “Here to Learn.”
And to our boys — Barna, Sim, and Felix — ooooeeeffff… our kids (and the younger generation) can teach us so much… if only we can learn to listen to them.
Thank you all.
And Happy Thanksgiving to you ALL!
