Seen and Heard with Jodi Pickering

Jodi wrote to me after our interview and spoke of how when you learn the skills of listening, you get invited into the game. Similar to learning how to play soccer means you get to play with others. “Too often”, Jodi wrote, “people describe listening as work when, really, it’s just playing with others.”

Playing – and inviting others to play along – perfectly sums up my friend Jodi. She’s a longtime educator guided by curiosity and empathy, the kind of friend who will show up and give you exactly what you need in that moment, and an amazing listener – a skill she has spent a lifetime learning.

Jodi taught in Quaker schools and discovered the power of Clearing Committees – a group of people who ask questions so you can hear your own answers. Sounds like the precursor to coaching.