“So Special Special” to be a Kiwi!

Over the past two weeks I’ve had the opportunity to experience live: Split Enz; 3 budding young artists performing acoustically in a church nearby; Six60, Synthony (dance music with DJ and orchestra), the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and multiple Kiwi vocalists all in one show (“Once in a Lifetime” in the new Christchurch stadium - Te Kaha). 

All New Zealand performers — all world-class! 

Two things stood out:

🎵 How proud I am to be Kiwi and what incredible talent we have here — it’s not just rugby we’re good at!

🎵 The hours and hours of planning, rehearsal and preparation behind the performances. From those on stage, yes, but also the amazing work behind the scenes - sound, lighting, production and the constant adjustments being made in real time to create something exceptional.

It's similar to the work of building strong teams and leaders - individual talent matters, but it’s the coordination, preparation, adaptability and shared commitment behind the scenes that really creates something "Special".

Proud to celebrate New Zealand Music Month here in Aotearoa!

🐘 Elephants in teams are common.

Some are cute. Some aren’t - like the ones that show up when things aren’t being said or addressed.

You can tell when they’re around. There might be tension in the room, silence around a particular topic, a shift in body language, or a change in energy.

When I sense elephants during a team coaching conversation, an actual elephant might appear.

I’ve got all kinds—big ones, small ones, smooth and rough ones, fluffy and leathery beasts, some with dangerous tusks, some without, some on wheels, some nearing retirement, and a few young calves.

They might be on the table. Or in the middle of the room. Or lurking quietly in the background. And there’s often more than one!

I’ll ask whether my elephant radar is on point. Whether they belong. How they got here. Whether the team would be better without them. And, most importantly, what it would take to move them on.

These conversations are critical because elephants don’t forget—they don’t go away. They linger. They grow. And sometimes they multiply, and you’re dealing with a whole herd. 🐘🐘🐘

Team coaching supports these conversations and encourages psychological safety - building collective elephant-wrangling capability.

If your team includes an elephant or two, and you're not sure how to manage them, please get in touch. Happy to have a chat.

I’m a greeny!

Not in a political sense – in a “naturally drawn to it” sense.

🌳 I spent a full day this week listening to the recording of a recent BCC Coaching with Nature conference in the UK. The key take-out being that nature is calming, opens up creativity, and provides a break from our (mostly) grey working lives. Thanks to those who organised and presented (Judit Ábri von Bartheld MA, MCC, ACTC, Jonathan Passmore and many many more). I loved it.

🎨 I’ve also been thinking about an art class I did over summer on colour – the science and history of colour, pigments, paint types, and the magic of mixing them. I learnt lots.

Connecting these ideas…

🔬 The science part

Our retina has three types of colour receptors (blue, green and red). The green-sensitive ones sit in the middle and are in the best position to process brightness and detail. In simple terms: green is one of the easiest colours for our visual system to process.

🧬 The evolutionary part

For most of human history, green meant life and safety. Vegetation, water, shelter, food. So it’s not surprising that green environments often feel steady, calming, and restorative.

🤝 The coaching part

If you’ve worked with me, you might notice how colourful my slides are — often using greens and blues (another favourite).

You might also notice the high use of analogy in my work – often drawn from nature. Trees, birds, seasons, landscapes, weather systems, growth cycles. It shows up a lot.

And if the weather is nice and the location suitable, we might work outside. In direct contact with green.

I don’t consciously set out to use nature – but now that I think about it, the colours, language, metaphors, and environments I’m naturally drawn to bring nature into conversations – creating calm, unlocking creativity, and stepping away from grey working.

Perhaps I’m more of a greeny than I thought!

If you or your team would like a little more green in your lives, please get in touch. I’d love to have a chat about nature and coaching.