Did you ever experience that longing for having a true partner by your side?

by Silvia Apostol
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For a long time, being part of the international development and civil society communities, I asked myself the question - what is a true partnership? It became my quest for the Holy Grail.

My curiosity was not theoretical, but came from observing reality, which showed, more or less always - imbalance of power, control, hierarchy, in a word, a cognitive dissonance. I was eager, determined, to find an experience that I could feel was truthful.

Now I had a realisation, why I ended up in this field of coaching. Because it is not based on a traditional, hierarchical societal system, but on one of CO-CREATION.

This is not a small thing indeed.

What does co-creation and partnership mean in the coaching process:

- no one holds the ultimate power - neither the coach nor the client;
- decisions are made transparently;
- roles are clear - the coach guides the process, the client leads the content part;
- both parties learn and grow from each other;
- each speaks openly, without fear of offending;
- each party sets and respects mutual boundaries.

The session is equally about learning a relationship model, as well as about finding solutions for a concrete problem.

It is a process of transformation - together, in a space of safety and trust.

Clients always reflect back on this, saying that this is a unique place for them to have, one that makes them feel valuable, alive.

Even if, humanly, it can't be a totally clean experience, it is sooo refreshing for many of us, coming from the corporate world.

I am grateful to the universe that I found what I was looking for, even if this is not in the way I expected (the universe has a refined sense of humour).

Do you have true partners and partnerships in your own life, where do you find them - at work, at home, in the family, elsewhere?

If you are curious to experiment, coaching might be a good thing for you to test.

I invite you for a first-hand experience of having a thinking partner by your side.