Thrive on Challenges and Flexibility

In our many coaching conversations over the years, there are always people who desire to have more time to accomplish things. Sam is one of them. A high-flying manager in a digital advertising agency, she handles many client accounts from various industries and does her best to ensure these are optimized properly.

One of her goals in life was to earn an MBA. She felt doing so could be a good step for career development. However, she felt overwhelmed by her work and would destress by loading up on social activities after office hours.

Consider the following coaching questions and think about which questions increases positive influence, and which harms influence building:

As the coaching conversation progressed, Sam realized that her social life was taking out a huge chunk of her time. Time she could use to work on her MBA instead. We then challenged her to carve out 20 hours a week to study. Feeling that was too drastic, she settled on 10 hours to begin with. Being flexible coaches, we agreed.

Nonetheless, we continued to drive her towards the goal by gradually increasing the hours set aside to study. The challenge grew to 12 hours, then 14, then 16, all the way to 20 hours a week. At every step, we followed up with her regularly and held her accountable to her commitments.

Despite a slow start, Sam managed to finish her MBA in 18 months instead of 24 months as she powered through the semesters. She was so proud of her success that she took us out for a Michelin-starred meal to celebrate, and to thank us for believing in her. Her story shows that challenging people in the right way can reap the right results.

Great coaches understand that coaching is not a quick fix. Coaching is the process of helping people find their own solutions and challenging them to win in the face of adversity. The bigger the problem and the bigger the goal, the bigger the gain will be when it is conquered.

The beauty of coaching is that when people face high aspirations and tough obstacles, they can learn how to develop themselves to become more masterful. As a coach, you need to be courageous. You will constantly believe in people’s greatness and rise to the challenge of any given situation facing the person you are coaching. When faced with challenges and the need to be flexible, you tackle it with faith, confidence, and enthusiasm and work persistently to win. When you are able to thrive on challenges and flexibility, you will be well on your path to coaching greatness.