Walking on Sunshine
The effects of weather on coaching outdoors
This article is about finding your boundaries in weather, contracting with client around theirs, and being prepared. It contains a vignette (shared with client’s permission) and a diary entry to illustrate real experiences.
Weather is rarely as bad as it looks, ‘bad weather always looks worse through a window’ (Tom Lehrer). However, the critical considerations are; how comfortable am I in this weather? Is my coachee comfortable? and, do I have a back-up location? Being able to alter your route to suit the weather is an added bonus and one of the key criteria for picking some locations.
Comfort Zones
Making sure you are in your comfort zone and will not be distracted by the weather is a key consideration to having a successful coaching session. Everyone is different; one person may be very happy in the rain but unhappy in the wind, someone else may love the heat whilst yet another may feel faint in hot sunshine.
Your role as a coach is to be in service of your client. If you are focused on trying to stay dry or warm your client is being denied some of your attention. Any capacity taken up with personal concern or discomfort is getting in the way of what you have available to support your coachee.
To ensure this does not happen: Firstly, know your comfort level, not tolerance, that’s different – your comfort level. Then, check with your client what they are happy with. Beware the power (Clarkson, 2000; Kilburg, 2004; O’Broin & Palmer, 2007; Wampold, 2001) that you have as a coach to lead people. Tread lightly when contracting around weather and what others are comfortable with and trust your gut instinct, it’s usually right.
This is a vignette from a client I worked with called Richard. We were due to meet at Curbar edge in the Peak District:
Typical grey autumn day in the Peak District. In Scotland we’d call it ‘driech’ (Image by Lesley Roberts shared with permission of client).
“It was November but not too cold. I’d checked the weather and knew it was going to be pretty wet and windy. It had been raining for the previous few days and I was beginning to have my doubts about the location. I e.mailed Richard to share my concern and he said he was still happy to go out, as he’d suggested the location I didn’t feel I was leading him in any way. On our previous coaching session we’d had a conversation about being outdoors triggered by the jacket he was wearing, it was a technical mountaineering waterproof (Rab brand) and I’d commented on it. He said he loved walking and often spent whole weekends outside between long walks with his family and endurance bike rides.
As I drove to Curbar Gap the rain began; a constant drizzle on a grey day. I arrived at the car park and wondered if we should find a cosy quiet place for our conversation. Curbar Gap, runs along a crag top and is very exposed with nowhere to shelter. I was weighing up my comfort level with the weather and considering how it would impact the conversation. I eyed up my waterproofs on the back seat and wondered whether or not to don my waterproof trousers as well as jacket. Before I could decide Richard arrived. OK I thought, before I get ‘all togged up’ (and inadvertently pressure him into walking because I look like I’m ready) I’m going to check that he still wants to walk ‘in this’. Before I got to his car, he’d opened the door and was smiling and pulling on his jacket.
“Are you sure you want to go for a walk in this” I said.
“Definitely, I’ve been looking forward to it” came his response.
I pointed out “I’m not sure the rain is going to stop and I suspect it’s going to be pretty muddy and slippy underfoot are you ok with that?”
“Ah, yeah, it’ll be fine, I’ve got good walking stuff and we’ll soon dry out. I’ve been looking forward to this walk, I really need to get outside and clear my head.”
I walked back to my car to get my waterproofs and hat. Unhelpfully I found I’d forgotten my hat and had to make do with my daughters, she’s 5 and her hat has 2 pom poms on the top! Joking aside, it was a big lesson for me. I hate having wind in my ears and I found myself having to work hard throughout the walk not to get distracted by the fact that the hat did not cover my ears. I am pretty comfortable in most weather conditions and follow Billy Connolly’s advice; “There’s no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothes”, so it was a revelation to me how distracting it was to be uncomfortable.
Our walk was slippy, grey, windy and wet the whole way. Richard was well within his comfort zone but that’s only because he spends plenty of time outdoors, for most it would have been fairly miserable.
The weather that day served as a mirror for Richards current experience. He was having a tough time at work with a number of challenges but knew there would be light at the end of the tunnel. He said he just had to ‘manage through’ his current situation. He was aware of the impact on him and was still within his window of tolerance (Ogden, et al. (2006); Siegel, 1999). He knew it was not sustainable long term and said that his comfort with the current adversity was due to his previous experiences and knowledge and the fact he knew it was only going to be short lived.
It always amazes me what nature offers the coaching relationship and in this session I learnt a lot more than I bargained for.”
Windy Weather
The main considerations in wind are safety from falling branches and being able to hear properly. Not hearing your client and constantly asking them to repeat themselves, or them not hearing your reflections and questions, does not make for a relaxed session, instead it creates a battle! So, if it’s windy, it’s not ‘don’t go out’, it’s ‘pick your location and route carefully’. Often it is possible to find shelter from the wind in woods, or to walk in the lea of the land or trees, allowing your session outdoors to go ahead.
Here’s an extract from my coaching diary on a windy day…
It’s Tuesday, it’s windy, wet and grey. I have a client booked for an outdoor coaching session tomorrow, this weather is not ideal! I check the weather for the following day; Sunshine - yes. Dry - yes. Windy!!!!!
OK so we can still go out I just need to give some thought to our route. Somewhere sheltered would be ideal.
I pick a route which has quite a lot of woodland paths, is low lying and I can choose our direction of travel so that the wind is at our backs in the more exposed sections.
I email the client to give them a quick weather update, check they are still happy with the plan and suggest they wear layers.
On the day I pop out for a short walk in the morning – Just how windy is it? Will it be too distracting? It seems ok.
I’m really clear that whilst I don’t want to be put off by less than perfect weather, I also want both my client and myself to be able to focus on our conversation and not to be focused on battling the wind.
During the session I did notice the wind for the first 5 minutes but it soon disappeared partly due to us warming up, partly to our quick descent down the hill at the start of the route and partly because the conversation became the focus.
Last Thoughts
Frosty sunny days with sharp clear air and a sprinkle of glitter everywhere are magical. I’ve yet to meet anyone that doesn’t love them, just beware of it being icy underfoot.
Glorious sunny days bring a relaxed holiday feel. It’s key to ensure everyone has water available. Either take some along for your coachee or drop them a message asking them to bring a bottle for the walk.
There are some very accurate weather apps available. Some can tell you down to the 5 minutes what’s happening in your location. They are worth a look, even if it is to decide the one on your phone is just as good for you.
In Summary
Don’t be put off by any of this. In all the time I’ve been coaching outdoors I’ve only ever moved one session inside due to poor weather and that’s not because we’ve toughed it out, it’s because more often than not the weather is absolutely fine.
Check the weather.
Contact your coachee if there is any inclement weather.
Contract around their comfort level.
Is there any clothing advice that would support them?
Plan the route accordingly.
Have a quiet back-up space available in case the weather worsens.
If you’ve found this article interesting and helpful you will be interested in our virtual programme, Getting Started Coaching Outdoors - designed for coaches who would like to work outdoors but haven’t yet stepped out. If you are an experienced coach who already works outdoors you might be interested in what nature can offer as a partner in the coaching realtionship - take a look at Nature as Co-facilitator.
Lesley holds an MSc in Executive Coaching from Ashridge Business school and she has 16 years commercial experience with Mars. She holds EMCC Senior accreditation. Read More >
She is the author of ‘Coaching Outdoors; the essential guide to partnering with nature in your coaching conversations’.
Contact by calling +44 (0) 7799 581792 or email info@coachingoutdoors.com.