During August, Sustaining the Thinking Collaborative Journey will explore the Calibrating Conversation. Thinking Collaborative provides a one-day training in this unique conversation map for those who have completed the Cognitive Coaching Foundation Seminar®.

The hallmarks of self-directed people are those that are self-managing, self-monitoring, and self-modifying. The Calibrating Conversation aligns with those goals by putting the teacher or other employee in the driver’s seat regarding their own growth. By choosing a focus of one’s own, intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset are enhanced.

The third region of the Calibrating Conversation not only identifies a desired goal or placement on the rubric, but grounds the choice in the deep structure of the person by exploring how the goal aligns with the values, beliefs and identity of the coachee. The coach might ask, “What is most important to you about your choice?” or “How does this focus match the teacher you want to become?” By bringing the values, beliefs and identity of the teacher to consciousness, the coach invites a commitment to goals that align with the teacher’s deepest intentions.

This week, consider ways in which you invite commitment and congruence as part of your annual goal setting.