In both Adaptive Schools and Cognitive Coaching, the first capability is to, “Know One’s Intentions and Choose Congruent Behaviors.” A capability provides the metacognitive guidance to enter interactions with consciousness.

While this seems simple on the surface, attention to intention is not a natural tendency. This capability drives all others in that it causes us to ask ourselves entry questions such as:

Who do I need to be in this interaction?

What might be the expectations of others in this interaction?

How might I best serve others in this interaction?

What beliefs, values, and identity will best support the intention of the work in this interaction?

Consider a meeting or interaction you have this week. As you answer these questions, how do they assist you in your effectiveness? What are you more conscious of in thinking about these questions?