Thinking Partners

Coach Mike Bayer works in mental health and personal development. He recently spoke to Jon Gordon on his Positive University Podcast about the benefits of having a 'Think Partner.'

"Whenever we are evolving, the world around us shifts a little bit. Whether we are evolving in our relationships, or have kids, or a new job. For me, I love having a thinking partner to talk about it with. Someone else can really point out those blind spots in us.

Mike went on to talk about his relationship with Dr. Phil. He is a regular on Dr. Phil's show, and he talked about how Dr. Phil has been a Thinking Partner for him and a mentor:

"We normally go to lunch all of the time; at least once a week. Usually, I bring ideas to him and we start riffing. Even the first time I was going on television for my last book, I went to his house and I gave him my pitch, and he would coach me on how to do it, what to say, and thinking about who I am talking too. It has been an amazing mentorship that I never would have expected."

Having someone to talk through ideas with helps me make sure that our vision is clear, and that we are moving in the right direction. It also helps me make sure that my communication is clear and effective.

So many times, I think that a certain offensive or defensive scheme would be a good move for our team, only to talk to an assistant coach or think partner and realize the wholes in my ideas. The same can be said for personnel, and even how I am interacting with and communicating with my athletes.

If we want to be the best coaches that we can be and be the best that we can be for our teams, we have to be able to put our egos aside, be reflective and introspective about what we do, how we do, and why we do. Having a Thinking Partner can really help with that.

We still have to have the power of discernment and make the best decision for our teams, but having another resource, another set of eyes, and another set of ears to bounce ideas with can be very valuable.

I wrote about Coaching PLCs and the benefits of building your own coaching community here: https://acoachsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/PLC.