On this episode of the Coaching Studio

In this episode of the Coaching Studio, Lyssa interviews renowned author, coach, and speaker Michael Bungay Stanier. The conversation navigates the intricacies of power dynamics, the biological instinct to retain power, and the ‘advice monster’ we sometimes find difficult to let go of. Drawing insights from relationship experts, they emphasized the significance of active relationship management in both personal and professional settings. Michael underscored the critical role of open communication, genuine feedback, and the concept of “fierce love.” Discussing Michael’s new book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, they touched upon the importance of feeling genuinely heard and seen, the power of silence, and the value of organizational culture. And the key attributes of a Best Possible Relationship.

3 key attributes of a Best Possible Relationship:
For any relationship to have a chance of success there must be three things present:

1. Safe – Remove the Fear. Psychological safety, as described by Professor Amy Edmondson, where people feel safe and wholly accepted at work.
2. Vital – Amplify Bravery. Being psychologically braver. Feeling enlivened by working on the hard stuff.
3. Repairable – Fix the Cracks. Working relationships will go off the rails eventually. Some self-heal, but rarely to the state they were before. Nevertheless, good relationships work to fix the damage.

Their conversation, interspersed with book recommendations and personal anecdotes, culminated in discussions on defining success, the role of community in personal growth, and surrounding yourself with people who will support you to bring something positive into the world.

Michael's Bio:
Michael Bungay Stanier is at the forefront of shaping how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership competency. His book The Coaching Habit “unweirds coaching.” It is the best-selling coaching book of this century, with over a million copies sold and more than ten thousand five-star reviews on Amazon. In 2019, he was named the #1 thought leader in coaching. Michael was the first Canadian Coach of the Year, has been named a Global Coaching Guru since 2014, and was a Rhodes Scholar. His most recent book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, shows how to build the Best Possible Relationship with the key people at work.

Michael founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that had helped hundreds of organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led. (Learn more at BoxOfCrayons.com.)

Michael is a compelling speaker and facilitator, combining practicality, humor, and an unprecedented degree of engagement with the audience. He’s spoken on stages and screens around the world in front of crowds ranging from ten to ten thousand. His TEDx talk has been watched by a million and a half people. (Learn more at MBS.works.)

En route to today—and these are essential parts of his origin story—Michael knocked himself unconscious as a laborer by hitting himself in the head with a shovel, mastered stagecraft at law school by appearing in a skit called Synchronized Nude Male Modelling, and his first paid piece of writing was a Harlequin Romance-esque story involving a misdelivered letter … and called The Male Delivery.

Connect with Michael on his Website, MBS Works
or on LinkedIn

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

Production Editing: Lyssa deHart

Social Media and Communications: Michele Logan