Nigel Lane » Coaching

2nd Twin

nigel — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:47:31 +0000

The second of the ‘twins’ presented to school in exactly the same way as the first – lethargic, uninterested, de-motivated and ‘switched off’.

However, upon further discussion and questioning, this guy was facing as totally different issue.

He is motivated, he has a purpose and an aim for his life but it doesn’t involve or need school – or at least he can’t see how he needs school. A career in the performing arts is his goal. The next step is to enrol in a performing arts academy to study his craft and his acceptance will be based on interview and audition. The logical conclusion to his reasoning is that academic study is of no use and ion some measure he may be right.

My discussions began to centre on the soft/people skills that are available to him at school. Whilst he may not see the need for scientific study of the human body or the benefits of learning about religion in society there are still things school Read More

Not a Full Man !

nigel — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:36:30 +0000

Men, real men (so the popular theory goes) are able to fix things, even make things. They keep wood in their sheds in case they need it someday. They have toolboxes with tools in that they know the names of, what they are used for and actually know how to use them!

Real men (so the popular theory goes) cope well when their car breaks down. They lift the bonnet (or hood for my North American friends) and can understand what they see and are often able to get the car back on the road without phoning for outside assistance.

The popular theory also says they don’t cry – well the big ones don’t.

If the popular theory is true then I am not a full/real man. My wife discovered this during our early married life when I attempted to assemble our flat pack furniture. Quite a shock for her as her father kept wood in case he Read More

Low Touch In A High Need World

nigel — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:56:07 +0000

My wife is a reader – I read too [well actually I now listen to more books than I read - but that is another story] – so she uses our local library. Earlier to day I went and picked up a book she had ordered and I realised that the whole process took place without the need for any human interaction at all. The book was searched for and ordered online from home. The internet told us it was there, ready and waiting to be collected. The new, revised, updated system enables us to collect the book, scan our library card and leave the library without speaking to a single human being.

Later I went to the supermarket and they too have recently installed self check-outs. Now, admittedly, the conversation with the checkout chicks was rarely long or detailed [and never deep] but even the pleasantries of “How are you, today” can now be avoided.

So we are developing additional ways to live our lives without human interaction – a low Read More

Do Teenagers These Days Need a Life Coach?

nigel — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:13:37 +0000

Someone recently asked the question: do teenagers these days need a life coach? Interesting question that is actually 3 questions rolled into one. Let’s explore them together.

Teenagers ‘these days‘ As many of you will know, if you use a phrase like ‘when I was your age…‘ it doesn’t matter what you say after that because your teen has already zoned out. They are firmly convinced that most adults have never ever been their age. I explain to them that even their parents were teenagers once – BUT – they weren’t teenagers in 2010. Young people are facing life issues that weren’t heard of when I was their age. Many more of them, for example, are growing up in blended families with one distant parent. Drugs are more available today than back in my time. Pressure to perform at school appears greater too as you almost need a college degree to get any job. There Read More