The Ponder team is building software that enables better communication for leaders and their teams. Most frequently, we associate the idea of leader and team with corporate organizations. But not always. Executive coaches and their clients, too, can be viewed as a team striving to elevate the client's impact. One such executive coach is Chad Herst. Chad has a long history of challenging and improving the way he positions himself and his clients as a cohesive unit, including incorporating new technology into his practice. We recently had the chance to sit down with Chad for a thought provoking podcast to talk about his experience using Ponder.
While you can listen to the podcast here, below we highlight some of the critical takeaways.
An inquiry is, simply, the act of asking for information. Those that have worked with great leaders will remember the impact of a good question. Chad is no exception. He discusses the impact that async, voice-first Ponder inquiries have had on his practice, and how using the tool as session prep and session follow up have helped clients leave coaching sessions with greater clarity and readiness for action, while also strengthening the continuity between sessions.
In addition to coaches using the tool, Chad talks about Ponder’s utility for managers as an accountability tool, helping to create greater dependability around the commitments made by themselves and their team members. “There is something about being witnessed by another human being that creates greater solidity around the commitment.”
Lastly, Chad makes a strong case for using Ponder for meeting prep, “most meetings are boring, because no one is coming in prepared!”. Meetings would benefit from being set up for success by having participants use Ponder to complete asynchronous work prior, to enrich the quality of discussion. Whenever we are about to step into a meeting “we need to find language for what matters to us so that we can actually contribute to the conversation. So that we can bring something intelligible.”
A big thank you to Chad Herst for taking the time to sit down with us for this thoughtful conversation! Click here to listen to the Podcast.
Chad Herst is the Executive Coach at Herst Wellness, a San Francisco-based wellness center focused on Mind/Body Coaching. Chad is an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC) and he has been working in the wellness space for over 19 years and also has years of experience as a yoga teacher. He received his BA from Columbia University and his MS in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.
