You practice, in addition to “classic” coaching, equicoaching and mountain-coaching. Can you tell us more about your trip?
I have been a horseman since I was 6 years old and I have been practicing mountaineering since I was 20. Naturally, I decided to integrate these two passions into the practice of my work as a coach, with equicoaching and mountain-coaching. My passions irrigate the immersive trips that I design; in a way, an extra soul thanks to these experiential coachings compared to traditional coaching. It is about allowing the trained person to bring out his talents and resources in contact with the horses and the mountains. Equicoaching and mountain-coaching help you find answers within yourself, while you step aside: the one that life allows (equicoaching), or nature (mountain-coaching). Going out of mind (literally meaning “experience”), he revisits his way of being in the world and with others.
The horse interests you for two reasons: as a living being and as a social being…
The horse acts as an instant revealer of our inner state and our way of doing things. And his hierarchical herd organization is inspiring: consensual rotating leadership in which relationships prevail over territory, roles are distributed according to contextual elements and resources reserved for real emergencies! The coachee thus becomes aware in real time of his impact on the other. The same process works in the mountains when you move in a rope group. Unlike classic coaching, equicoaching and mountain-coaching have a mediator: the horse or the mountain. Which, if it helps, complicates my role as a coach! Because, if I entrust the safety of my trained clients to high mountain guides, in equicoaching I have a double function: the accompaniment of the human and the safe handling of the horses. I am the guarantor of the comfort and mental and physical safety of all these little people!
How would you define the philosophy of these two atypical formats of managerial support?
Dealing with issues related to the management of oneself and the other, such is its essential substrate. Starting from his own experience and from what he lives with his “rope partners”, the coachee will look for in himself the talents that he can put at the service of the team, with respect from his own resources. Equicoaching and mountain-coaching favor frugality and authenticity, which really makes sense for everyone. They are sources of inspiration and learning grounds for the now famous formula. less is more.
To what extent are equicoaching and mountain-coaching in line with the current search for meaning by companies and employees, faced with the sometimes contradictory mandates (for example, between profitability and sustainability) of an increasingly unstable world?
In fact, businesses are facing unprecedented uncertainties. They go from one crisis and one unforeseen event to another. This volatility has become the new normal. Being agile is more imperative than ever. Equicoaching and mountain-coaching help cultivate emotional, situational and relational agility; in an effective way, without prejudices and learning (right to make mistakes as a candid person).
Companies nowadays only have the word “sustainable” in their mouths, but in reality things are sometimes more blurry…
The apprehension of this dimension is not obvious. What time scale are we on? Short term long term? This question is proving crucial as time is running out for leaders, who are often only there for three-year terms. Equicoaching and mountain-coaching leave a lasting mark: employees “engram” the experience in their bodies before mentalizing it. They find themselves immersed in two unusual and out of the ordinary environments, which require being fully present, being 100% “here and now”. In a way, they are mindfulness activities, not to get lost but to find yourself.
Equicoaching and mountain-coaching offer an immersive experience based on feelings and observation in action, that of a complete awakening towards yourself and everything that happens around you. Like horses, the coachee develops focused vision and wide-angle vision; know-how that also characterizes high mountain guides.
The mountain also develops qualities of perception of oneself and those around us. The coachee evolves there with one or more rope partners. This interaction through the cord that connects, leads to the discovery of the place that I occupy, the one that I must leave to others to walk together in confidence with a view to reaching a summit. This also challenges my ability to anticipate, cooperate and innovate. Isn’t this what companies operating in project mode need?
Traditionally, the coach listens, observes and questions, then hypothesizes. Experiential coaching resonates more than it reasons. As a group, this gives for exceptional moments, which unite a team. This creates “momentum”, to use a popular term.
We are going to detail a little how this original offer is available. What forms does it take and who is it for?
The modalities are multiple: from the individual session of 2-3 hours to immersive courses of several days. The selected formats all respond to a specific request, be it to create an “electric shock”, to re-motivate “people who work freely” or to put some glue back into the teams. I detect the need underlying the request and from there I put together a project team with which I “knit” a tailored process, a framework and appropriate educational sequences.
At the same time, I am leading more and more interactive conferences in person or remotely, as well as Master Classes, which are more participatory.
Another interesting point: to carry out my missions, I form teaching teams. I realized that the formation of such teams and the way they organize themselves to manage the unexpected while maintaining fluidity, have model virtues for my clients. When they see us in action, our customers are inspired.
Who is equicoaching and mountain-coaching for?
They are just as suitable for personal development issues as they are for managerial development.
By preference and because that is where my experience lies due to my professional career in organizational consulting, now I dedicate myself mainly to a corporate audience: executives and their close teams, managers and their collaborators, HR support functions. I am also summoned very frequently by the coaches themselves, whether in individual or team training. They find new keys to efficiency in issues that are difficult to deal with in a traditional way.
And, against all my expectations, my “corporate clients” are increasingly turning to my services to deal with more personal matters with their loved ones (family and friends). I am delighted with that! However, I remain cautious because I know my limits; I am a trainer, not a therapist. If equicoaching and mountain-coaching can have therapeutic virtues, they are not meant to.
This content was produced with SCRIBEO. The BFMBUSINESS editorial team was not involved in the production of this content.
Source: BFM TV
