Do you ever feel like you need to “check your true self at the door” before you arrive at work? Do you put on a crappy happy face for your marketing teams?
It feels draining. Inauthentic. Phony.
Your colleagues can tell. Neuroscientists teach us the power of “mirror neurons.” In other words, if we are feeling exhausted, phony, and crappy happy, others feel it. We limit our ability to teach, show empathy, and help others.
Thankfully, it is possible to overcome those feelings and do your best work.
Here’s what one client recently told me:
“Last week, after one of our strategy sessions, one of my meetings was cancelled. I grabbed my running shoes and headed for the beach. I can’t remember when I had a better run. I was lighter and faster, and it felt like I was soaring over the ocean. I had a smile on my face most of the way back. I am grateful for you Lisa – I feel this coaching process has unearthed and revealed the real me.”
Here’s what this marketing leader did well in the first 90 days of our collaboration:
- They agreed to stay curious and open to coaching. I noticed how they could set aside their opinions and were open to learning new approaches and strategies. When I provided them with feedback, they didn’t analyze, comment, nor editorialize. They simply paused and said “thank you.”
- They invested time on the front end to build a strong community of stakeholders. This executive works for a highly innovative multi-billion dollar company, and working across many different functions effectively is essential to their success. They asked stakeholders across functions if they would be willing to offer candid, unfiltered feedback to help them get better and position themselves for a VP or SVP role. They used four magical words when they contacted them: “I need your help.” I then contacted each stakeholder and conducted confidential interviews. They were eager and willing to help the client.
- They fastened their “transition seat belt” before we started working together. The client and I talked about the stages of transition they could expect to navigate: the end of something, the messy middle (think of a chrysalis metaphor), and something new. They agreed not to skip over, fight, deny or argue with the messy middle.
I am proud of this client—their courage, their curiosity, and their willingness to take one step forward each day. I’m very confident that they are now more well-equipped to navigate the rough corporate seas. By working with me, and building their stakeholder structure, they are prepared and inspired to reinvent and thrive.
These three strategies are quite common with my successful coaching clients. Nothing to check at the door, other than their surfboard!
If you are looking for similar results in your career, or want a more influential seat in the C-Suite, drop me a note.