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In a recent coaching session with a dear friend, he shared how much he loves the double meaning of the word ‘vision’. He wants to grow his ability to articulate a clear vision for his team – to see into the future, with a wide, expansive view of what’s possible and where he and his organization are headed. And vision also means having keen eyesight – able to see fine details in the present moment.
As he spoke, I immediately thought of Hawk. As a spirit animal, Hawk represents my unlimited potential and humanity’s. Taking that soaring, big-picture view. And at the same time, while Hawk soars through the sky, they have incredible eyesight, able to spot a mouse from hundreds of feet in the air.
Vision has come up several times in recent coaching conversations – both articulating a professional vision for a team and a personal vision that can provide clarity on how to grow as a human. I’ll focus my thoughts primarily on the latter, but I think you’ll see how similar techniques can apply to the professional environment as well.
Personal Vision
Five years ago, I went through a life planning exercise. It proved to be a pivotal experience for me. As an outcome of that process, I saw clearly that I wanted to become a coach, and I began to work deliberately in that direction. I expected I would not pivot to coaching for another 3 to 5 years. But once I had clarity, the Universe took over, and I left my current role and launched my coaching practice in less than a year.
One exercise I found daunting and powerful was writing my eulogy. How did I want to be remembered at my funeral? What impact would I have on those around me? Done well, this should be aspirational and inspirational. It was hard for me to write about myself that way, as I’m sure it’s hard for most people. It was also hard to stretch myself out of my current way of being and envision a human who had grown and flourished beyond my present state.
I recently worked with a client who tried their hand at this exercise and found it challenging. They felt like their first draft was more of an obituary than a eulogy. This prompted me to go back and read mine, to see if it offered any insights for them.
I was taken aback at how much had changed since I wrote the eulogy five years ago. Much of it still felt resonant, but many components no longer aligned. It opened with “Josh was a devoted father and husband…” I like to think I was a devoted husband at that time, but I’m no longer married, so even the first sentence needed an adjustment.
My Eulogy Thought Partner
As I contemplated a new eulogy, I immediately recognized how technology has advanced, providing new possibilities. AI could be a valuable thought partner.
I offer this suggestion with caution, as AI is only one potential thought partner, with both strengths and weaknesses. Humans are also tremendous thought partners.
I have a good friend who is a frequent thought partner of mine on AI. She leans AI-skeptical, and I lean AI-advocate. What I love so much about our conversations is that neither of us is attached to our position. We do not have debates trying to convince the other person that we have it figured out. We are genuinely curious about each other’s ideas, and we have thoughtful conversations. I have a much more balanced (and more skeptical) attitude towards AI now, thanks to our conversations. I like to think she is more open-minded about its possibilities as well.
Having AI “do all the work” to craft your eulogy for you isn’t likely to give you a helpful outcome. If we rely too heavily on AI, research shows we limit our brain’s development. For example, if we let AI do all the writing, we’ll never strengthen our own writing skills.
I’ve found, however, that a well-designed prompt can engage AI as a thought partner where you still do the lion’s share of the thinking. And in the case of writing your own eulogy, when we have a hard time painting ourselves in a glowing light, letting AI provide the first draft can be very powerful.
I gave AI my 2020 eulogy and my blog post about the life-planning process. Here’s the prompt I gave it:
“Please act as my life coach and thought partner to help me update my eulogy. I want you to interview me, one question at a time, to determine what is the same and what has changed. Then please produce an updated eulogy based on that interview. Assume I live another 50 years.”
This prompt follows the CRIT structure I learned from The AI-Driven Leader, by Geoff Woods:
- Context – Give the context behind your request
- Role – Tell AI what role you want it to play
- Interview – Ask AI to interview you, one question at a time
- Task – Tell AI what task to complete after the interview
AI asked me nine questions. I did not treat this like a casual conversation. I gave it the same care I would if I were working with a human coach. I took my time and provided thoughtful responses to each question. That process alone generated significant awareness and opened new avenues of exploration for me.
After the interview, I got this question:
“Before I write it, one last gentle check-in:
Would you like this eulogy to be written in the same tone as your 2020 version (spoken as if read aloud at your memorial), or would you prefer a more spiritual and poetic voice…?”
Spiritual and poetic, of course!
The eulogy I received back gave me chills. And tears. It described a future vision of me that I found expansive. This is who I will become, and it guides how I will live my life in this next period of time. I found it so resonant that I read the eulogy as part of my morning ritual for a few weeks to help it sink in.*
Your Vision
While I shared how I leveraged AI to support a personal vision, I’m sure you can see how a similar prompt could support a professional vision. I have considered a rebrand for my company and have begun conversations with friends and colleagues to support that exploration. Here’s how I might engage AI.
I’d collect any existing artifacts that describe the current vision. Content from my website. My coaching bio. RFP responses. Relevant blog posts. I’d offer all of this up as source material to provide context for the current state.
I’d then craft a prompt using the CRIT format. For example, I might say:
“I’ve provided context that describes my coaching business, Arete Pursuits. I’m considering a rebranding of my business, as I’m finding greater attunement with ‘alchemy’ at this time than with ‘arete.’ Play the role of a strategic consultant. Interview me, one question at a time, to aid me in exploring and articulating my vision for a rebranded company. After the interview, provide me with your strategic consulting analysis, with recommendations on vision and branding for my company, explaining the rationale behind your recommendations.”
I’d revise what the AI gave me (assuming I liked the result), then continue engaging trusted friends and colleagues for their insights and feedback. I am coaching humans after all, not computers.
Putting It Into Practice
Consider leveraging AI as a thought partner to articulate a professional or personal vision. Use the CRIT prompt structure to ensure you are doing the heavy lifting, and AI is in a supporting role. Recognize that AI is only one source of input. Your friends, family, and colleagues are your most essential thought partners.
I am an executive coach and life coach with software executive roots in higher education and EdTech. I coach because I love to help others accelerate their growth as leaders and humans. I frequently write about #management, #leadership, #coaching, #neuroscience, and #arete.
If you would like to learn more, schedule time with me.
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* The eulogy is too long to be included here, but I’m happy to share if you are curious – send me a direct message.