Somewhere in the middle of my career I met Ralph Kerr. He was based in the US while I was living in the UAE, but we both belonged to a global network in Shell. Over time, he became a coach and mentor to me – I came to know him as an OD professional, a coach, exemplary leader, and a wonderful human being. I credit Ralph for introducing me to the world of OD. During our conversations we discussed challenging topics and I had the opportunity to test my own thinking and approach around how to address those. Over the years, we kept in touch by reading each other’s LinkedIn posts, sending annual new year’s wishes, but had not spoken in person for over a decade.
After seeing one of his posts on LinkedIn recently I reached out to him and we scheduled a virtual catch-up. What had originally been planned to be a 45 minute call turned into 90 minutes of sharing reflections about our current work, and how our experiences have shaped us.
All we did was show up for each other, with a willingness to listen, a genuine interest in one another’s stories, an input of different perspectives and a healthy dose of self-deprecation combined with a good sense of humor. Coming out of the call I noticed how liberated I felt in my thoughts – just by taking time out to consciously reflect on past, present, and future.
The power of reflection doesn’t necessarily lie in having all the answers, or even always knowing which questions to ask, but sometime it’s about opening up our minds to an exchange of thoughts and perspectives. Reflection doesn’t always need to be a solitary thing, in fact, its impact and efficacy can be amplified by sharing the process with someone else.
Ralph, people like you are rare in business. I am grateful for our friendship.
