Inspiring people

It’s a new year! And time for the next part of my series on inspiring people in my life. Following the interviews with Susanne, Annika, Kirsten and Karen, this article is an interview with Jin.

This is all about people who inspire me as a coach and trainer.

The interviews will be, depending on the preference of the interviewee, in English or German.

My colleague Jin Keudel will share what inspires her, what she enjoys and more. Jin is the founding lady of the in person and online onboarding training I have been involved in for the last couple of year, is Korean American and real source of inspiration. I remember when I sat in on one of her online onboarding trainings and marveled at how she new every part of it – despite it being designed for mutliple trainers – could bridge between topics and make sure the trainees had best understood what the point of any particlar part was. I got to do this training with a couple times and loved her flexibility, her interest in how others did it and, at the same time, the reassurance she gave me as a newbie on the training. I hope her answers inspire you as much as they did me, and leave the floor to Jin. Enjoy the read!

Neues Jahre, neues Interview! Es wird Zeit, den fünften Teil der Artikelreihe mit inspirierenden Menschen zu veröffentlichen. Nach den Interviews mit Susanne, Annika, Kirsten und Karen, geht es in dem jetzigen Artikel um Jin.

Es geht um Menschen, die mich als Coach und Trainer*in inspirieren.

Die Interviews sind abwechselnd, nach Vorliebe der, bzw. des Interviewees Englisch oder Deutsch.

Meine Kollegin Jin Keudel teilt mit uns, was sie inspiriert, was ihr Spaß macht und noch mehr. Jin ist eine Begründerin des onboarding Programms, in dem ich die letzten zwei Jahre mitgewirkt habe. Sie ist koreanische US Amerikanerin und eine echte Quelle der Inspiration für mich. Ich kann mich noch gut erinnern, als ich bei einem ihrer Online Trainings hospitiert habe, wie beindruckt ich war, von der Art und Weise, wie sie das Training durchgeführt hat, dass sie jeden Teil des Trainings – trotzdem, dass es für mehrere Trainer*innen konzipiert war – mit Lockerheit gemacht hat, zwischen den Themen Brücken geschlagen hat und sichergestellt hat, dass die Teilnehmer*innen soviel wie möglich mitnehmen konnten. Ich hab das Training dann ein paar Mal mit Jin durchgeführt und habe ihre Flexibilität, ihr Interesse daran, wie andere Themen angehen, sowie die Rückenstärkung durch sie als Newbie sehr schätzen gelernt.

Ich hoffe, Ihre Antworten inspirieren Sie ebenso wie mich und wünsche viel Spaß beim Lesen!

 

What do you particularly enjoy in your work?

People.

I love meeting new people, engaging in interesting conversations, sharing my experience and knowledge, and most importantly, learning from those I meet.

I am fascinated by people and their stories and it brings me joy when I am able to help them get closer to their goal.

 

When your developing something new, where do you reliably find inspiration?

I get inspiration and ideas from a combination of reflections from recent experiences (what I call “ah-hah” moments) as well as conversations, readings and other intellectual stimulation.

These “ah-hah” moments can come from my work, family, the community I serve in, or during my free time like when I play tennis or travel. My greatest inspiration and learnings come from being a mom to two fantastic and very different kids.

So I find inspiration all around me, but turning inspiration into something more tangible requires my experiencing things or understanding them.

 

If we’d asked you those two questions 10 years ago, would you have answered them differently?

I would have answered the first question exactly the same, but my answer to the second question would be different.

In the past, I seeked out people who inspired me and with whom I could share and grow ideas.

I have become more balanced now and better at reflecting and observing.

 

You get to choose the next question! What is it? And what’s your answer?

If a young professional asked you for tips on how to become a coach or trainer, what would you tell them?

Gain as much experience as you can during your first 10 -15 years of your professional life

by taking on responsibility (esp. leadership), challenging yourself to try new things, stepping out of your comfort zone, and making mistakes and learning from them. Take every opportunity that comes your way to grow and develop yourself – read, pay attention in trainings/meetings/workshop, look for and observe people who inspire you, find a mentor.

Stay curious, ask questions, and build a network.

Most importantly – “walk the talk”. Build your reputation by being a reliable partner. This means that we deliver on things we promise to do. And we deliver with quality.

 

What a great close to the interview! Thank you Jin!

If you have questions, drop me a line or give me a ring. I look forward to hearing from you!