Opt-in and Win

I'm celebrating my client, Tim, and his team this week. As essential workers, unrelenting demands, coupled with COVID-19, had brought stress to new levels. As energy depleted, poor habits crept into the daily operations. Fatigue led to reactionary management. This high performing team was struggling to tread water.

Six weeks ago, Tim brought the team together for a half-day meeting, which I facilitated. We created space for everyone to take a breath and reconnect to their shared values. Through a series of activities, the team identified the most important near-term priorities. At the top of the list was being more prepared on the job. 

The team returned to work the following Monday and started operating differently. They didn't wait for someone else to make a plan and tell them what to do. Instead, everyone started taking the individualized actions they'd identified. These built upon one another to create a new way of thinking and operating that immediately paid off. 

​There was new vitality in Tim's expression as he told me that with each passing week, things were getting more manageable. The preparation from the prior week carried over, making the next step possible. Tim and his team had made the shift from the vicious cycle to the virtuous cycle.

In coaching relationships, implementation lies squarely with the client. My role is to make things visible, to motivate change, and to cheer from the sidelines. Tim and his team live the victory of their change everyday, and I am proud to witness and celebrate with them.