COACH
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November 2019
Coach-in-the-Spotlight: Rob Kenning
Team Coach / Leadership Coach / Personal Coaching in Nature
Rob Kenning has an interest and passion in everything there is to discover in the world. Within this is human nature, what we all choose to do and have to offer, but it wasn't always so - as a boy, Rob was shy and struggled around others. He can remember sitting in the back of the car when his mother was driving, saying noticeably little. She suggested that asking people about themselves was a good way to take the pressure off, from there the seed of curiosity for people and places was planted.
In the last fifteen years. Rob’s career as a Peak Park Ranger and Expedition Leader has taken him all over the world, reconnecting people with nature, and finding their leadership and team working qualities. Over 100s of days spent on forest trails and mountain paths, talking about hopes & hesitations, fears & fantasies with adults and young people, has led to a natural progression into Coaching inspired by the outdoors.
He currently still has both careers, with much of his Coaching taking place in the evenings and weekends which also suits his clients. Rob has Coached in many different places, taking the lead from where each of his clients feels most comfortable. Perhaps his most extreme Coaching venue remains at 5800 meters on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, encouraging several apprehensive clients in their goal to reach the summit, which they did with great determination and team spirit.
Rob’s top tip for those considering commencing a career into Coaching is to spend quality time researching all the different Coaching training options out there. The quality varies tremendously with duration of training, number of participants, style of delivery, price and content taught. Carefully consider the type of Coach you want to end up as, and how you learn best, before committing yourself.
Ideal clients for Rob could be students or adults, outdoor-types or urbanites, but they would be seeking change, coming open-minded and willing to work hard for it, for themselves or their team. Rob’s style of Coaching is non-directive and collaborative, enabling clients to think more clearly for themselves. Through his sessions, he helps clients to identify clear goals and consider the different ways forward on their life & work pathways. For Rob, life is like walking a forest trail - at times there are obstacles and route choices along the way, where a coach can sometimes be a support, through attentive listening and pertinent questions, until the traveller is ready to continue on their journey, without further assistance from the coach.
The three largest influences that have inspired Rob are: his parents with their curiosity for people; his wife, who has helped him reflect on different ways of experiencing the world, and Nelson Mandela. Mandela, in particular, stands out for Rob for his wisdom and humanity, in spite of being imprisoned and then become a powerful Head of State:
In the last fifteen years. Rob’s career as a Peak Park Ranger and Expedition Leader has taken him all over the world, reconnecting people with nature, and finding their leadership and team working qualities. Over 100s of days spent on forest trails and mountain paths, talking about hopes & hesitations, fears & fantasies with adults and young people, has led to a natural progression into Coaching inspired by the outdoors.
He currently still has both careers, with much of his Coaching taking place in the evenings and weekends which also suits his clients. Rob has Coached in many different places, taking the lead from where each of his clients feels most comfortable. Perhaps his most extreme Coaching venue remains at 5800 meters on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, encouraging several apprehensive clients in their goal to reach the summit, which they did with great determination and team spirit.
Rob’s top tip for those considering commencing a career into Coaching is to spend quality time researching all the different Coaching training options out there. The quality varies tremendously with duration of training, number of participants, style of delivery, price and content taught. Carefully consider the type of Coach you want to end up as, and how you learn best, before committing yourself.
Ideal clients for Rob could be students or adults, outdoor-types or urbanites, but they would be seeking change, coming open-minded and willing to work hard for it, for themselves or their team. Rob’s style of Coaching is non-directive and collaborative, enabling clients to think more clearly for themselves. Through his sessions, he helps clients to identify clear goals and consider the different ways forward on their life & work pathways. For Rob, life is like walking a forest trail - at times there are obstacles and route choices along the way, where a coach can sometimes be a support, through attentive listening and pertinent questions, until the traveller is ready to continue on their journey, without further assistance from the coach.
The three largest influences that have inspired Rob are: his parents with their curiosity for people; his wife, who has helped him reflect on different ways of experiencing the world, and Nelson Mandela. Mandela, in particular, stands out for Rob for his wisdom and humanity, in spite of being imprisoned and then become a powerful Head of State:
“...I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
For Rob, coaching can help bring greater individual freedom to some on their own climbs - freedom to think and act with clarity and autonomy. Then, having taken a ‘moment's rest’ it is his hope that we might take up the benefits imparted by this freer thinking and further expand the chance of “glorious vistas” for others.