Have you wondered why you meet a 'coach' nearly everywhere
you go these days? What is it about this profession that
attracts so many people, both as practitioners and as
clients?
Studies in neuroscience shed light on this
phenomenon—it's all in the way we think. Simply put
for this article, we have two working functions in our
brain; 'hardwire' which connects existing patterns, and
'working memory' which analyzes new data.
In everyday life, it is easy for us to stay with what we
know, what is hardwired into our brain. The light is red,
so I stop. I don't have to think about it, and am not
motivated to act in any other manner. Life is easy, and
yet, we are stagnant.
The 'working memory' is moves much more slowly and consumes
great energy, kind of like cutting through ice versus
skating on top of it.
When a new connection is made through 'working memory'
however, it is extremely energizing. Think of how great it
feels to complete a challenging Sudoku, or finally come up
with a new plan of action after pondering it for weeks.
David Rock explores these two functions of the brain with
respect to the role of coaching in his new book, Quiet
Leadership. Rock looks at four 'faces of insight' to get
us from where we currently rest on our laurels into action.
Let's go through an exercise. We'll use an unhealthy
relationship with a colleague as an example.
Awareness. We are aware of this unproductive relationship,
yet stay with what is familiar (hardwired) and do nothing
to solve it. We go over the same scenarios again and again
in our mind with no resolve. Enter our coach who
challenges our working memory to move beyond status quo and
into the brave new world of options and novel solutions.
Reflection. In reflecting on various approaches, we stretch
our 'working memory' and the energy begins to flow. As a
coach, I often hear clients say 'I tried that once and it
didn't work.' This 'hardwire' thinking is limiting.
Perhaps they tried to talk to the colleague at work. While
reflecting upon other options, my client may choose to
approach their colleague on the golf course or at dinner.
Illumination. Ah-ha! The options unveiled in the reflection
phase has illuminated a possible new approach. 'That's it;
I am definitely going to approach him at dinner!" This is
where the energy rushes in. According to Rock: "Even
small illuminations pack an energetic punch. The rush is
being driven by a new set of connections in our brain.
Having an insight is one of life's most pleasant moments."
Motivation. Now that we have created a new approach, we
can barely wait to give it a try. We make the call, set
the plan in action. "When people are in the motivation
phase, their eyes are racing ahead, ready to take action."
Coaching works due to its very nature of constantly
stretching clients to think beyond what is hardwired into
their brain, and thus, produce different results. If you
find this concept intriguing, I challenge you to test
yourself over the coming weeks to see where your thinking
rests. Do you settle for hardwire status quo or are you
continually seeking out new approaches to solving old
dilemmas?
----------------------------------------------------
Ann Golden Eglé, Master Certified Coach and President
of Golden Visions Success Coaching can be reached at
541-385-8887 or http://www.GVSuccess.com
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