USEFUL READING


HOW COACHING ELEVATES HIGHT ACHIEVERS


Success often brings unique challenges — high performers may feel stuck, out of balance, or as though they’re pursuing someone else’s vision. This is where coaching steps in as a powerful tool for driven individuals who want to elevate their impact and find deeper fulfillment by transforming their mindset.


Mindset plays a pivotal role in how we handle pressure, tackle challenges, and pursue growth. Dr. Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset underscores that seeing challenges as opportunities can boost resilience and continuous improvement. Coaching instills this mindset, equipping you to transform obstacles into steps forward.


Coaching can be invaluable in:


Coaching offers high achievers a pathway to new levels of fulfillment and alignment. By shifting perspectives, addressing challenges, and refining goals, coaching connects your career success with your core values. Ready for a breakthrough? Coaching could be the key to your next level.

NEW BEGINNING OR A NEW DISTRACTION?


For some of us, starting a new activity is a major step forward in our developmental path. It’s a remarkable achievement in its own right, well deserving a celebration.


However, for many others, seeking novelty is just a sophisticated form of distraction. Whether it's a new sport, hobby, study, diet, or a romantic date, what matters is the bottom line. If your shiny new endevour doesn’t make you better, if the long-term effect of your efforts is close to zero, then instead of progress, you are holding yourself back.


To get over this, learn to tell yourself the truth about your real intentions, whether sweet or bitter. Learning to be honest with yourself will make you stronger and help pave the way to your true calling.


If you feel like you need a bit of a nudge or support to get where you truly want I'm here to help.


USING THE POWER OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING IN DAILY MANAGEMENT

Effective leadership goes beyond delegation and decision-making; it involves understanding and motivating your team. One powerful tool gaining popularity in the management realm is Motivational Interviewing (MI). Originally developed for counseling, MI is proving to be a game-changer in the workplace. Incorporating MI into your management style involves understanding of the following key principles: 

EXPRESSING EPMATHY: Show genuine interest in your team members' perspectives and concerns. By actively listening and understanding their points of view, you build trust and create a supportive environment.

DEVELOPING DESCREPANCY: Encourage your team to explore the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Help them recognize the benefits of personal and professional development, fostering a sense of self-motivation.

ROLLING WITH RESISTANCE: Instead of meeting resistance with force, acknowledge it and explore the reasons behind it. This approach helps to minimize conflict and allows for a more collaborative problem-solving process.

SUPPORTING SELF-EFFICACY: Cultivate a belief in your team members that they have the capacity to achieve their goals. Recognize their strengths, celebrate successes, and encourage a mindset of continuous improvement.


Simply put, our goal is to help employees uncover even the smallest bits of internal motivation by focusing on - why they might want to change. It's not about benefits and consequences; those will follow along. It's about a understanding person's own reasons and deeper values standing behind them. The process can be really fast if done properly, but it takes courage, dedication and desire to help to overcome initial resistance. Below is an short example of the potential conversation.

Manager: "I've noticed hesitation about the upcoming process changes. Can you share your thoughts?" 

Employee: "I'm not thrilled. The current process works for me."

Manager (Expressing Empathy): "Change can be challenging when we're used to things. What aspects of the current process do you find most effective?"

Employee: "It's what I'm used to; it's second nature."

Manager (Uncovering Internal Motivation): "Can you think for a moment why you might want to switch?"

Employee: "I could reduce paperwork, and my yearly review might improve."

Manager: "Why is that important?"

Employee: "I dislike wrestling with paperwork, and a better review means a potential bonus."

Manager: "If you think of obstacles, what affects you the most?"

Employee: "Lack of time to learn the new process."

Manager: "How about a workshop with team building to learn and discuss the new process together?"

Employee: "Yeah, that could help. Let's give it a shot."


In this simplified example, the manager uses Motivational Interviewing principles to guide the employee towards recognizing the potential internal motivation for embracing the new process. By discussing the impact, internal motivation, and obstacles, the manager helps the employee see the bigger picture and navigate towards desired outcomes.


You can read more about it from Michael V. Pantalon or William R. Miller books. Try it out, and let me know if you want me to help you master that super skill.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE?


We all have tried to stretch our limits at some point. But what was the result of those efforts last time? Have you achieved that transformation you have dreamed of?

If not quite then don’t rush to blame yourself for not being persistent enough. It takes more than just a plan and a strong will to escape the gravity of the comfort zone. To do it right we have to understand the mechanics of this powerful phenomenon. 


1. First of all, the comfort zone is a good place to be, it gives us confidence, security and a feeling of being in control of our life. For the majority of people, those are the cornerstones of a good life and we don’t want to risk losing them even at the price of giving up on our dreams.


2. Second, we instinctively prioritize short-term gains over long-term ones due to various psychological factors. In simple terms, we prefer to eat an apple today than wait until it grows into an apple tree. It made sense for our furry ancestors but we can do much better by understanding how the brain works and developing individual strategies for overcoming our instincts. There is a great book covering that topic in the detail “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman.


3. The third and perhaps the most powerful factor is the fear of the unknown or neophobia. Our minds are tirelessly trying to keep us safe by avoiding new and potentially dangerous situations. This is a nice feature to have if you plan to evolve but it also gives us anxiety every time we face changes. You can read more about overcoming neophobia in Susan Jeffers’s book “Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway” 


Leaving your comfort zone is hard and failing to do so doesn't mean you are weak or lazy. Our nature is pulling us back to the good old days in the African savanna where among many things we’ve learned to enjoy the moment and procrastinate with future-oriented tasks. In order to succeed with the change we must understand the internal strengths and limitations of our character and develop an individual strategy for moving further. To a certain extent, it can be done individually but there always will be blind spots in our worldview that only other people can notice. Seeing yourself through the eyes of an unbiased person is one of the best gifts we can give to ourselves. So next time you plan changes in life don’t hesitate to seek support from professional coaches and supervisors.  


Finally, there is good news for all of us, we have come a long way to get where we are now. Therefore we absolutely know how to move forward. Don’t forget to keep it in mind and good luck escaping your comfort zone!

HOW SOCRATIC QUESTIONING HELPS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS?


Socratic questioning is a form of critical thinking, which was invented by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates and is characterized by the use of open-ended questions to reveal what is known about the subject and examine general assumptions. 

Nowadays, Socratic questioning is widely used in business coaching as a way to help clients gain insight into their thoughts, feelings and actions. A coach using this method will ask a client series of open-ended questions to identify any limiting beliefs that may be holding them back.


Socratic questioning is used to help clients:


It can also be an effective tool for generating new ideas and exploring potential solutions. The coach's role in this process is to guide and facilitate the conversation, rather than provide answers or advice, this allows clients to come to their own understanding and conclusions.


It’s hard to overestimate the importance of getting rid of unjustified assumptions and limiting beliefs when making long-lasting decisions. As American philosopher Lewis Fordsworthe famously said  “Assumption is the mother of all mistakes”. If you want to make sure you are making an informed decision use Socratic questioning or its modern form of Business Coaching to deepen your understanding and avoid costly mistakes.