It struck me again today that every interaction we have with another human being is underpinned by our thoughts. Given how important ‘thinking’ is I then started to ponder how much time people really spend developing their ability to think in ways that are most helpful to them and the people around them. Particularly in our fast pace World.
As executive and leadership coaches we work a lot with people’s thoughts and feelings as they grapple with the myriad of opportunities and challenges presented to them. If we want different outcomes, we often need to do different things and our experience tells us that these personal growth journeys will often require changing thought patterns and subsequent feelings and behaviours, a premise of cognitive behavioural therapy.
Changing these thought patterns often requires a conscious decision and motivation to do so. This takes work; a lot of self-awareness, a clarity on required direction and then some helpful conversations to facilitate the growth.
The sources of our inspiration are all unique however I will share a few thoughts from leaders that inspire me; the leadership guru, Robin Sharma (1999); “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality”; the philosopher / psychologist, William James (1942 – 1910) “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” and Richard Branson (2013) “Chance favours the prepared mind, the more you practice the luckier you become”. We may conclude a central theme around “everything starts in the mind”. This also happens to be Space2Be’s strap line and this experience-based belief underpins our work.
Helpful questions
Self-awareness precedes sustainable change. Would you like to become more aware of what you are thinking and feeling so you can make more meaning from your actions? Here are some hot tips to get you going coupled with some thoughts on a simple approach to hiring an executive coach:
| TOP TIPS FOR GROWING OWN SELF AWARENESS | TOP TIPS FOR HIRING AN EXECUTIVE COACH |
| 1. Keep a confidential journal.Capture the moments of self-doubt, confusion ineffective behaviour and ask:What was I thinking in that moment? Where does that thought come from? What was I feeling? What was my attitude? What could I have done differently? How was I blocking myself from doing this?2. Capture the moments of success and ask: What were you thinking and feeling in that moment? 3. Ask for feedback! If you don’t use 360 feedback processes already we would highly recommend them as a significant tool for enhancing self awareness and ultimately individual and team performance |
Let’s keep it simple:1. Chemistry chats are essential. Research suggests that 70% of a successful coaching program will be dependent upon the quality of relationship between the coach and the coachee.2. What training and accreditation have they had to inform their knowledge of how to provide executive coaching and importantly how to deal with the complexity of challenges that your people will present?
3. Do they have regular supervision? This is best practice. Did you know that the regulations of the counselling profession require counsellors to receive 1 hour’s qualified supervision for every 6 hours counselling they do? We would welcome such rigour in the executive coaching industry. |
Check out the Space2BE 360 tool as a method for helping you and your teams increase their self awareness;
Be mindful of your thoughts today! Be in charge of your own destination.
