Foundational literacies

For much of my professional life, I have been committed to enabling teaching and learning, particularly the foundational literacies that help people thrive: reading and writing, numeracy, scientific and cultural literacies. These are the building blocks upon which so much else depends.

Human Literacy

As AI becomes increasingly capable—and may soon outperform us in many of these traditional literacies—another literacy is moving to the foreground: human literacy.

Human literacy: the ability to understand and regulate ourselves, relate effectively with others, and continue to learn, grow, and flourish.

If traditional literacies help us engage with knowledge, human literacy helps us engage with ourselves and one another.

Environment of Trust

Cultivating this literacy isn’t just an academic exercise, it requires intentional practice. This realisation was one of the reasons I enrolled in a nine-month coaching programme at Henley.

I expected to spend my time learning coaching theories, frameworks, tools, and techniques. What I did not fully anticipate was the importance of the environment in which that learning would take place.

One of the most striking aspects of the programme has been the sense of trust, safety, and support created among participants and faculty. Coaching requires openness, curiosity, self-awareness, and, at times, vulnerability. These qualities cannot be forced; they emerge when people feel respected and free to experiment without fear of judgement. They become more rather than less important as AI takes on a growing share of analytical and knowledge-based work.

It was remarkable how quickly accomplished professionals became willing to share uncertainties, experiment with unfamiliar approaches, and offer candid feedback. This has established a community that feels deeply collaborative rather than competitive. Credit to the faculty and team for creating this!

Personal Struggle

One of the most challenging aspects of the programme for me has been learning to step out of the driving seat. My instinct is often to drive people reach a conclusion, but effective coaching requires creating the conditions for the coachee to find their own way forward. Before joining the programme, I assumed I would be most drawn to structured, solution-focused approaches. I was surprised to find myself appreciating more humanistic and systemic perspectives. They often created a greater sense of calm and presence in the conversation, which in turn seemed to help the coachee open up and explore more freely.

It has been a useful reminder to me that some of the most valuable learning comes from the approaches we initially resist. It’s a lesson I hope to carry beyond coaching.

Learning Partnership

The connection between coaching and learning has been the most valuable insight for me so far. Good coaching is not about providing answers. It is about creating the environment in which learning can happen—cultivating trust and psychological safety, encouraging curiosity and reflection, offering challenge alongside support, and enabling continuous growth.

At its best, coaching is a learning partnership. It helps people think more clearly, discover new possibilities, and move forward with greater confidence and purpose.

I expected the course to be the project. Instead, I have found that I am the project.