This summer I attended the first course in the Co-Active Coach Training Program, Co-Active Fundamentals, as part of my professional development at University of California Press. I used my Robin Seaman Award funds to take two intermediate courses in the training sequence, “Fulfillment” and “Balance,” to accelerate my journey through Co-Active’s training program and coach certification.
I’ve been trying out my latest soft skills in my day-to-day, and it has had an impact. One of the tenets we learned early on was to “hold the client’s agenda,” a practice of letting go of attachment to our desires or goals for the person we are coaching. This involves a process of inquiry beforehand, to identify the agenda—asking powerful questions, guiding clients through visioning exercises, etc—so that we can understand what the person wants, what they feel gets in their way, and who their allies are in reaching their goals. It’s our role as a coach to remain as present and mindful of our own bias as possible to move the client forward above all else.
Honing in on this orientation has helped me be a better and more responsive book publicist. More importantly, it’s made me a better colleague and deepened my service on the Press’s DEIA committee.
There’s something potent about this practice of detachment and setting aside our own agendas in order to hear and empower others. It’s been valuable to play around with the internal volume dials of “self” and “other” in my daily work. I go back and forth about how useful it is to lean into soft skills when so much of what’s wrong with the publishing industry could likely be improved with money rightly spent. That said, I am a comms person and I do believe in the power of active listening—combined with material resources and trusted leadership—to improve our workplaces and ensure that everyone in our organizations is valued, safe, and able to do their best work.
Mindful communication doesn’t close pay gaps, but it does build power. It took several layers of mentorship, experience, privilege, and curiosity for me to get clear on how I could get (let alone use) professional development funds. I’m glad to have learned some skills and tools for helping others get clear on what they want and empowering them to ask for it. If you’re considering applying for the Robin Seaman Award, please do it!
If you’re not sure what you would do with the funds, I hope you’ll set aside some time to explore and talk it through with someone else—a friend, a mentor, a coach.
As for money rightly spent, I extend endless gratitude to Robin Seaman, her family, and the award committee for recognizing how impactful this kind of funding can be for the future of the publishing industry. I am so grateful to be connected with this impressive cohort of award recipients, and I’ve learned so much from their experiences. I can’t wait to see what everyone does next.
About the Author:
Katryce Lassle (they/them) has worked in academic publishing since 2013 and is currently a senior publicist at University of California Press. They hold a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago (2014) and an MSc in Literature and Modernity from the University of Edinburgh (2018). Katryce began their publishing career at the University of Chicago Press and moved to Oakland to join UC Press in 2018, where they collaborate with authors across disciplines and serve on the DEIA committee with a commitment to amplifying underrepresented perspectives in the publishing industry and public conversation.