In our view, it is not that our business coaching clients are predictable or “typical,” it is often what they have been told about the position before starting that is predictable. Here at VIM Executive Coaching, we are all too familiar with several responses that arise from certain surprises. Here are just three of many examples:
“I came into the job believing that all of my managers were a big, happy family. In fact, I was specifically told how much they liked each other!”
“I no sooner rolled up my sleeves to really rock sales in my profitable division, when the CEO decided to dump the worst performing product line on my plate.”
“As the company began to run into difficulty, I learned that two, “C-level” executives were found to be guilty of bribing officials in a foreign market to gain market share.”
Welcome to the World
In the years that VIM Executive Coaching has been helping executive leaders and entrepreneurs realize their fullest potentials, one fact has remained clear despite shifting technologies, workstyles, outsourcing and workplace issues. The fact remains that there is no perfect job. We would all like to think so, to hope so, but sooner or later the most seemingly perfect promise can develop serious faults.
It is downright impossible to foresee every change in technology or required training or to anticipate open seating or outsourcing or any other factor. It is impossible to predict conflicts among managers or a lack of ethics among peers or that everyone will be happy or miserable or even (and this has happened) drug abuse.
Despite the best business school, managerial or business writing guides, there is no equivalent of the executive crystal ball. It comes down to us and it all depends on us.
When a challenge occurs or a sudden change of thinking or any other conflict, ethical or unethical, all we have is us.
The “world” is not perfect. We hear that all of the time but unfortunately, when starting a position many executive leaders don’t want to always believe it. When blind-sided or surprised by an unexpected factor in our expected world of perfection, many leaders will at first react on a gut level, rather than respond with intention. Reaction to surprises whether to an employee conflict, an under-performing product line foisted upon us, or a clearly unethical act on the part of our company or any other “imperfection” to our perfect perception will almost never succeed.
The difference between reacting and responding is mindfulness. Where we view a situation for what it truly is, and the way we deal with it is authentic, then we are being mindful.
Nothing We can Do
We can’t control very much in the workplace or in life. We can’t control if an employee is suddenly caught stealing or a boss dumping an unprofitable product line in our lap or two managers getting into a screaming match about politics.
We can control our response and we can control our actions to anything that comes before us. VIM Executive Coaching has a proven, custom-designed program for executive leaders and entrepreneurs to help them cope with issues in an authentic and mindful manner. Our programs work because at the very core of everything in our coaching is you. We work with your style and with your challenges to help make you more mindful, authentic and responsive.
Life is imperfect, but your response to a situation can be the most perfect version of you.