Coaching World Issue 15: August 2015 | Page 16

Once you are ready to overturn your immune system, remember that you are working to change your mind, not simply your behaviors. You can track your progress by noting what you are learning about the accuracy of your hidden beliefs. This will become clearer in the example below. Let’s turn to Ron, an experienced coach, to illustrate how he used the ITC process to develop a thriving coaching practice within one year. Ron’s answer was, “To be more aggressive in self-promotion.” Ron got great feedback on his work. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t doing more to reach new clients. QUESTION 2 (COLUMN 2) “What behaviors work against your goal?” We want you to take a fearless inventory, being as honest and thorough as possible. Write your answers in column 2. Ron wrote: QUESTION 1 (COLUMN 1) “What is the one thing that if you got better at, would lead you to be more effective or more satisfied?” • I don’t speak up when a good situation arises. You may want to answer that question in the context of developing your business. Write your answer in column 1 of the table. • I wait for others to involve me in the opportunity. • I don’t follow up with potential clients and people who express interest in my work. • I wait for others to suggest me as a resource. Typically, this inventory leads us immediately to make promises and plans to change those behaviors. We want to solve our problem as soon as possible. But that approach leads most of us right back to where we started—knowing what we need to do but being unable to follow through. The ITC process invites you to more thoroughly understand the problem and to consider that these behaviors may actually serve you well by accomplishing other “hidden” or unconscious goals. QUESTION 3 (COLUMN 3) Imagine yourself doing the opposite of the behaviors you just named. What worries or fears come up? Write these in the top half of column 3. Ron did some soul-searching before writing: Ron’s Immunity-to-Change Map 1. Self-Improvement Goal 2. Doing/Not Doing 3. Competing/Hidden Goal 4. Big Assumption I am committed to getting better at and being more agressive in self-promotion. I don’t speak up when a good situation arises. Worries/fears: I assume that if I selfpromote, others will see me as arrogant and pushy. I don’t follow up with potential clients, with people who express interest in my work. I wait for others to involve me in the opportunity. I wait for others to suggest me as a resource. I will be percieved as arrogant. I’ll be thought of as pushy. I’ll be thought of as selfpromoting. I’ll put myself in the position to discover that I really am an imposter and can’t deliver. I am also committed to not... appearing arrogant. 16 Coaching World appearing pushy or self-promoting. being seen as an imposter if I don’t keep myself under the radar. I assume that there is always a possibility that I will overpromise and underdeliver, and if that ever happens, I will have lost my integrity and people won’t trust me.