I can remember the squeak of my green flash shoes on the court. The elation when a smash had just the right angle on it.

Little did I know this would teach me a lot about how to manage communication in my professional life decades later…

Curious how peer coaching can help out your people? Here are 2 great peer coaching examples that create space, reflection time and build trust between people and across the organisation.

The first is called Talking Partners. Each morning two workmates get together to do 3 things:

The steel covers from man holes got stolen making the walk home a bit dicey, “anti-trouble emulsion” was sold in chemists and mutton was on every menu. My first few days in the city had been educational but I was ready for something different.

I had an appointment to meet someone new. At an interview. The conversation was flowing, we were laughing together and it looked like a good match. Then Jayne paused. “Wow. You really don’t know what you’re doing, do you?"

I smiled and nodded “I really don’t. That’s why I placed the advert.”

What’s coaching got to do with a cream tea? Quite a lot actually. A scone with just the right amount of crumble. Clotted cream that delivers heaven. Jam that is jamish in all the right ways. Served on elegant china and savoured with a great pot of tea.

If you’re thinking about coaching, here are a few things you should consider. And yes, what with the power of metaphor and the mention of yummy cakes, reading this might make your mouth water.