Transformational Leaders in Transformational Times webinar series – A harvest of deeper insights

2020 has been a year of pausing, letting go, reflecting, listening, renewing, and recommitting. In many ways this year has been about laying the foundations for the tremendous opportunities emerging on the horizon.

The webinar series that we organized at the end of November / beginning of December beautifully encapsulated all of these dimensions. Taking the time to pause and deeply listen to the transformational stories of the transformational leaders we have been fortunate to work with over the past years was inspiring and a clear reminder that the time has come to further expand human potential development work into the world.

Reflecting back on this amazing experience, we realize that there was so much more going on beneath the surface which only now we can start to comprehend. In this retrospective we would like to share some of these insights with you and hope to open up a dialogue on how we can continue to support each other’s growth into our transformational leadership potential.

 

An unexpected “rite of passage”:

 

Throughout this process, we assumed that the main purpose of the series was to inspire the audience. The stories shared by our clients would help the audience see expanded possibilities for transformational leadership in their own lives. The focus was on the audience. However, could it be that this experience was equally significant for the speakers?

We realize now that for some of them, this may have been the first time that they revealed their inner process and stories in such a public way. Did we naively assume that participating in this webinar would be a natural extension of how they were showing up in their teams and organizations? Did we overlook the rite of passage that this invitation may have represented to them? In hindsight we can now sense how this could have been experienced as a stretch out of their comfort zone and, in doing so, a significant step in their development as transformational leaders.

This is an important reminder that the journey of a transformational leader always starts privately with a subtle inner impulse to bring more of who we are into what we do. Then it gradually expands outwards to impact our immediate sphere of influence (family, team, organization). As we start to see the results of our transformational leadership, we grow in confidence until we are naturally ready to take a step beyond. For example, Andrew Thornton, owner of Thornton Budgens supermarket in London, spoke about the plastic free initiative in his supermarket being an experiment he has already leveraged to inspire and persuade much larger retailers to do the same important work.

Could it be that the deep insights Laura Saldivar Luna (CPO at Teach for America) has gained about what it takes to shift an organizational culture are setting her up to become a champion for culture change at a societal level to foster larger systems change? Is Tanya Gonzalez’s extraordinary leadership in unleashing the resourcefulness of her team to respond to the great challenges brought on by the pandemic a blueprint for other organizations in the non-profit sector? Do KS Saravanvasan and his team hold the keys to unlocking the highest impact initiatives in an organization?

Looking at the webinar series through this lens makes us even more grateful for the gift of their courage and the significance of this process.

 

Releasing transformational energy:

 

The second unexpected discovery about the underlying potential of this series is the energetic impact it has had. Looking back, we can see that creating the space for these stories represented an unpacking, or unleashing, of energy. Prior to the webinar this release of energy was contained to the people directly involved in the projects. We would talk amongst ourselves about the lessons and insights but very little of it was visible to the outside.

By intentionally sharing the stories beyond our immediate circle we can witness the freed-up energy moving and expanding, gracefully reaching new people and inspiring new breakthroughs.

 

Proactively welcoming the “tipping point”:

 

The tipping point has always been a fascinating concept to us. It’s that moment when the NEW has developed to a point where it can naturally and effortlessly replace the OLD.

In the context of our work, I can imagine this happens when enough people have come to the conclusion that the kinds of interventions they have relied on in the past to achieve their objectives will no longer work to navigate their organizations into the future. Until now I have assumed there is very little I can do to influence the arrival of the tipping point, other than lay the foundations so we are ready to respond when it does eventually come.

The experience of this webinar has profoundly shifted the way I think about my relationship with this phenomenon. Releasing and freeing of this transformational energy has created a new openness to receive, and a more expanded awareness about the need for transformation?

I no longer see the tipping point as something “out there” that we need to “wait for”. Instead, I now look at it the other way around – as if it is waiting for us. Waiting for us to welcome it, from a deep place of groundedness, into the heart of our collective Being and Doing.

Without doubt, the time to do so is NOW. So dear tipping point, let 2021 be the year we proactively take steps towards each other, in partnership, so we can discover and co-create a thriving future for all.

Human Potential based restructuring at Omega HMS

In early 2017, Omega Healthcare Management Services, a global leader in business outsourcing for healthcare service providers, underwent a restructuring aimed at further strengthening their number one corporate value: CUSTOMER SERVICE.

As a result of putting the customer even more at the heart of their operational processes they have managed to increase business amongst existing clients by 70% and business generated by new clients by 30% between 2017 and 2020. Internally, the newly redesigned customer service teams had the following observations:

  • “It’s easier to connect with the Operations team and partner with them in problem solving”
  • “It has facilitated client outreach and business growth”
  • “The closer you are to a problem, the easier you will be able to solve it. The CES Team has been able to provide better insights and also analyse the situation better. We have been able to look at problems and put them in a working model, instead of directly saying yes for every client’s request. We are able to negotiate better with clients”.
  • “The challenges are discussed in more depth and there has been a collaborative effort with clients, Operations and other internal teams”.
  • “As part of CES formation the small clients started feeling valued and having the human touch. These smaller clients are growing along with us and there is a more collaborative approach”.

What made this restructuring so special and impactful is that the Omega Talent Development Team, led by Mr. KS Sarvanavasan & Mr. S. Ranganathan, found a way to match the people most likely to exhibit a service oriented mindset with the newly created client facing teams. In other words, they took on the challenge to reorganize the teams in a way that not only considers the past performance of an individual but even more importantly their future potential to deliver the following qualities:

  • Empathy / compassion => to better understand the needs of the client
  • Curiosity & creativity => to continuously look for new and better ways to meet those needs
  • Collaboration & trust => to be able to seek out the win-wins

Their vision was inspiring, and the potential benefits significant. Customers would receive better service and innovative solutions, Omega would be rewarded with higher levels of customer loyalty, and the Omega employees would experience more meaning and greater flow in their work. In order to turn this vision into reality they reached out to Being at Full Potential, a professional services company specializing in human potential realization. KS and his team were particularly impressed with the way they were able to measure the highly relevant but somewhat abstract concept of HUMAN POTENTIAL. When they first saw the reporting framework (see figure 1 below), they immediately recognized the correlation between the leadership qualities they were looking for in their client services team (compassion, curiosity, collaboration, service) and the measures generated from the human potential assessment.

The first round of assessment was conducted in 2017 by all managers band 2 and above. In total 686 responses were collected to give an overall view of how the organizations was performing at the time in terms of realizing the potential of its people. KS and his team did not stop their analysis at the overall organizational level. They were curious what the data would reveal when they break it out by teams and key managers within the organization. In collaboration with Being at Full Potential they created a state of the art analytics tool where they could easily dig out the areas of the organization where there was good alignment between an individual’s potential for customer focused leadership and their role, as well as areas where an individual’s potential could be further optimized. In doing so they identified three kinds of teams:

  1. Teams where the customer focused leadership potential of both the manager and the team members were well expressed.
  2. Teams where the customer focused leadership potential of the manager is more expressed than the team members
  3. Teams where the customer focused leadership potential of the team members is more expressed than the manager

In the first instance, no action was needed. However, in the other 2 cases they saw a huge opportunity to restructure and realign the teams in a way that optimizes the potential of the team members and hence their ability to deliver the highest level of customer service. The following figures show the clear impact that this reorganization had on the team’s ability to express more of its inherent potential.

  1. Customer Orientation score went up from 78 to 85
  1. Compassion score went from 74 to 81

Conclusion:

Omega HMS can be considered a pioneer in the way they went about unleashing human potential in their organization. It’s the way in which they look at “Human Resources” that made all the difference. Their starting point was to see the organization as already being whole. In other words, they believed the talent they needed to create an outstanding customer service team was already there. They just needed to identify the people who have the inherent capacity for compassion, collaboration & curiosity, and then reassign them into positions where these qualities can be fully expressed. This approach is in sharp contrast to the usual way in which we go about talent & organizational development. In most cases we assume the inherent resourcefulness is lacking and therefore extensive (and often very expensive) training programs need to be put in place.  

Imagine the amazing efficiencies that can be achieved by following Omega’s human potential-based approach to leadership development? Imagine the incredible impact it will have on the self esteem and engagement of employees when they are seen as whole and resourceful? Imagine how the increased engagement levels will effortlessly translate into an improved bottom line?

To re-enter, or not to re-enter, the workforce?

Recently, I have opened up again to the possibility of joining the workforce. For the first time in 10 years I am scanning the jobs section of LinkedIn, curious about the kinds of positions companies are looking for these days. I also dug up my old CV and started updating it to better reflect the person I have become. And finally, the cover letter, a fascinating challenge to reconcile the multi-faceted nature of my entrepreneurial past with the specific demands laid out in a job description.

All of this is of course just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to re-entering the job market. Beneath the formalities (CV, cover letter, application…) lie the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what is possible. I’m aware how important it is to also address these. By bringing them up to the surface, it becomes easier to release them and reshape them in ways that support us in moving forward.

There are two stories in particular that I would like to share. The first one is about the nature of success and the second one about choice. Although the specifics of these stories are unique to my experience, I believe there is also a universal aspect to them. I trust that by bringing them out in the open it’s possible to release the grip they have on me / us and shift the conversation in ways that make the job search experience more enjoyable and ultimately more effective.

Success:

When I set out on my entrepreneurial adventure 10 years ago, the odds were stacked against me. It was hard to imagine how one could create a thriving business around the idea of prioritizing the “BEING” in organizational contexts that mainly thrive on DOING. Not only is the concept of BEING an abstract idea, it also can be perceived as a direct threat to a world that single-mindedly focuses on action, deadlines, and results. The business case for BEING is not an easy one to make and therefore most people close to me either advised against it or hesitantly supported this bold initiative.

My response at the time was to reassure my loved ones that if my entrepreneurial ambitions didn’t work out after a couple of years, I would simply turn around and get another job. At least I would have followed my dream and given it my best effort. At the time this was a very reasonable approach, but it was also the beginning of a story – a story that equated going back into the workforce with failure of my entrepreneurial venture. As I start my job search, I notice this story is still alive inside of me.

By reworking my CV and applying to jobs am I admitting that Being at Full Potential did not live up to its potential? Am I admitting that those who doubted me ten years ago were right? What does it even mean to live up to expectations or fulfill potential?

If it’s about impacting lives, creating a movement, thought leadership or giving birth to innovative tools, then it would be considered a great success. On the other hand, if the measure of success is a sustainable business that my family and I can reliably live off, then there is still some way to go.

This is the moment to reshape the story. What if opening up to rejoin the workforce is a continuation of the entrepreneurial journey rather than an end to it? When I look at my work through a broader lens – one where the focus is on human potential realization, then it doesn’t really matter so much what vehicle is used to get me there. Being at Full Potential may have been the vehicle that served me best until now, but maybe going forward I can be more impactful in realizing my mission as an internal change agent within an organization.

This new perspective takes me out of the either/or, success/failure paradigm and brings the focus back on the unique value I can bring to organizations. The purpose remains the same, it’s just the vehicle that changes. This is the new story I am embodying and want to share as I explore re-entering the workforce.

Choice:

Conventional wisdom would suggest that it is important to make a choice. Either I’m an entrepreneur, and continue building Being at Full Potential, or I drop it and re-immerse in a job that leverages my past experiences and aligns with my future aspirations. The idea that a choice is necessary is perhaps the most ingrained story that I have been telling myself over the last years. In fact, it lies at the essence of what Being at Full Potential is about:

We are what we CHOOSE to BE.

In other words, there is a direct relationship between what we are able to attract in our lives and the choices we make. As I write this, I am reminded that the story of choice is more subtle and complex than first meets the eye, and therefore can easily lead to misinterpretation.

As I further break down the story revolving around choice, I see how easy it is to confuse CHOICE at the superficial DOING level and CHOICE at the deeper BEING level. I also realize how important it is to make this distinction and genuinely enquire within myself where I stand on these different dimensions of choice.

Am I re-entering the job market because I’m prioritizing financial stability over my calling? Or am I re-entering the job market because, at this point in time, it may be another vehicle for me to realize my calling & purpose in life?

On the surface it seems like the same choice is being made (re-entering the job market) but at a deeper BEING level they are in fact very different. The first one is coming from a need for security and stability and the second one from a place of service and openness to new forms of realizing my purpose. In other words, the WHY is more important than the HOW.

In this respect, the story of success and the story of choice are very much intertwined. When success is defined as serving organizations in harnessing the human potential of their people then there is no need to choose the “right” vehicle. Instead I simply need to be open to all possible vehicles and boldly explore the gifts they have to offer.

This is the choice I am making!

The business case for BEING

Clients and prospects, rightfully, will always ask the question: “how does an investment in the “BEING” impact the performance of my organization”? I have often wished there was an easy way to answer this. I have tried using the C.A.R (context, action, result) model but it never really seemed to fit. The BEING work we do doesn’t lend itself well to this linear way of measuring impact. Each time I would conclude that the results of BEING work are more subtle in nature and, therefore, shouldn’t be quantified in the same way as we would, for example, an organizational restructuring program. However, this does not mean we shouldn’t be asking the business case question. It simply means that the way we answer it needs to change.

In this paper we attempt to shed light on the most important variables contributing to the success of BEING initiatives and their contribution to organizational performance. We will start by defining what we mean by “BEING” and “DOING”, acknowledge the interplay between the two, and frame our thinking within the broader context in which the organization operates. Then we will share some examples / case studies to bring this thinking to life and finally we will propose a simple algorithm to help organizational leaders discover for themselves if an investment in BEING is worth their while.

 

Clarifying DOING and BEING:

 

DOING = The actions we take to address the challenges and create value for our business or organization. Typically these are easy to observe and measure.

BEING = How we are showing up in the actions we take (ie: what are the qualities we consciously, or unconsciously as is most often the case, embody in our day-to-day activities)? Are we exuding trust or control? Are we resisting change or embracing it? Are we competing or collaborating with each other?

Furthermore, the BEING qualities we exhibit depend on the perspectives, beliefs and worldviews we hold as true. So much of WHO WE ARE is a function of our past conditioning and therefore often lies beneath the surface of our awareness. It’s not uncommon to observe a gap between who we intend to be at the conscious level and how we are actually showing up (unconsciously). Changing our beliefs and thought patterns involves a deep personal process of letting go, stepping into vulnerability and embracing the unknown.  In contrast to the DOING, the BEING is subtler, more complex, and trickier to observe and measure.

Acknowledge the interplay between BEING and DOING

 

The following framework helps to see the inter-relationship between the BEING, the DOING and our ability to unlock new value creation in our business or organization.

 

Consider the broader context:

 

Knowing which quadrant to focus on in order to deliver optimal business results depends on the broader context in which the organization is operating. In times when the “rules of the game” are stable and well defined, it makes sense for organizations to “play” on the left hand side of the framework. When business as usual is delivering satisfactory results then it makes sense to sustain the status quo. We simply need to continue DOING the same things and showing up (BEING) in the same way. If things do get off track then it is probably sufficient to apply current thinking to FIX, or problem solve, our way back to the desired results. The business case for FIX type of initiatives is easy to measure and often very compelling, as long as the rules of the game remain the same.

If however, the rules of the game are changing, as is the case today with Covid-19 impacting every aspect of society, we can no longer play it safe in the left-hand side of this framework. Applying current thinking to a radically different context simply doesn’t work. In order to move forward we must go down the courageous path of personal and collective transformation. Reframing reality, questioning our existing beliefs and relentlessly experimenting with new approaches are all part of the BEING work needed to make sense of, and eventually thrive in, the emerging new context. When the external paradigm changes, the internal one must follow. This is easier said than done.

Engaging in Being-ness work, such as coaching or other types of personal development workshops, can help us build awareness in a relatively  short period of time. New insights emerge and powerful new intentions are set. In these moments of heightened awareness  we can see exciting new ways forward. However, it is much more difficult for the DOING to follow and align with the BEING shifts that we are experiencing.

Most of the time when we engage in deeper work we find ourselves stuck in a state of TRANSITION (bottom right quadrant). On the one hand our awareness is growing but on the other hand we are still operating according to the same rules that we have always known. Breaking those ingrained patterns that have worked so well for us in the past is by far the most challenging part of the BEING journey. This is exactly why so many well intentioned personal transformation programs fail to deliver incremental value for the organization, and we end up questioning the business case for the BEING.

This of course is not the whole story. For the BEING to truly pay off we must take a leap of faith and boldly step into new ways of working together (DOING) that at first will feel uncomfortable and unknown. Learning to trust in the midst of uncertainty, express our vulnerabilities and experiment with new behaviors eventually brings forth a new reality. In the process there is a good chance it will have unlocked new sources of revenue and perhaps even a new business model. DOING from an altered place of BEING is the path we must walk to survive and thrive in radically new playing fields.

 

Examples to bring to life FIX, TRANSITION and BREAKTHROUGH states

FIX:

 

Back in my days as a market researcher at Procter & Gamble we would meticulously plan the launch of new product launches. This would include multiple rounds of qualitative research, concept and product testing as well as creating thorough marketing and distribution plans. Based on this we would estimate the  % of people who would try / repurchase the product  and derive a volume forecast. From a BEING point of view, we very much believed we were “in control” of the initiative. If post launch it was not meeting the projected volume targets then we would quickly invest in some trial barrier research to understand why people were not responding to the product launch as expected and then quickly adjust our communication & marketing efforts accordingly. There was a clear procedure to follow from start to finish and very rarely along the way would we step back to re-evaluate the foundation upon which product initiative was based.

Many times this linear FIX approach worked but I remember when the 2008 crisis hit something very interesting happened. During the research phase of projects, consumers would still claim to pay more for the premium products we were developing but post launch their behavior told a very different story. Our models and methodologies could not account for that and as a result there was a much bigger gap than usual between the actual business results and what we had originally projected. This moment in time was inviting the organization to re-think and re-look at the consumer and market landscape through fresh eyes (ie: a shift at the BEING level).

IN TRANSITION:

 

To best illustrate this state I will share my personal story of how I went about setting up my coaching practice after a 10 year career at P&G. I was disillusioned with business as usual and was starting to envision a more human-centric approach where our creativity and intuition would have a greater share of voice. My personal development journey was revealing great clarity on the role I could play in facilitating this transition and so, from a deep place of my own BEING, a new business was born.

I quickly went to work to manifest this dream. Soon enough I was doing all the same things I had been conditioned to do throughout my working career, expecting that meticulous planning would be the key ingredient to success. I was approaching the launch of my coaching practice as I would the launch of a new laundry detergent, even though the context / rules of the game were significantly different (in fact they didn’t even exist yet). In hindsight this seems comical but at the time it was all I knew. So my first 6 months post P&G were filled with hours thinking about my target audience, USP, benefit proposition, RTB, 4p’s etc… I had a 3 year roadmap in place that would bring me to the same level of income as I had when I left P&G.

Of course none of this led to the expected outcome. It didn’t take long after the “launch” for me to feel on shaky ground. Answering the “how are things going” question was becoming more and more difficult. My confidence dropped and from there it didn’t take long to reach my breaking point. The investment in BEING didn’t seem to be paying off…at least not yet.

BREAKTHROUGH:

 

Fortunately I didn’t give up. Instead I went through an intense period of shedding much of what I thought to be true about launching a new business, especially one with such an ambitious and alternative vision. I was being invited to let go of outcomes, time constraints and, most importantly perhaps, the belief that I was ready to fully embrace and deliver transformational coaching in organizations. This was the moment to fundamentally redefine success from something that is outside of my control (clients, sales, projects, profit…) to something I could fully embrace irrespective of the circumstances. This simple shift in perspective was incredibly liberating. The first idea that came to me as a result of stepping into this alternative paradigm of entrepreneurship was very simple but also very profound. What if I didn’t know what organizations needed? What if instead of closing the P&G chapter and my life as a market researcher, I would instead reclaim it and build on it in this new chapter?

Sure enough, one day, shortly after opening myself up to these new possibilities, I knew in every cell of my body what I needed to do next.

It seemed so obvious yet, only a few days before, it would have been impossible to imagine. During the next 6-12 months I would put on hold everything I thought I knew about organizational transformation and re-immerse as a researcher to genuinely explore what it takes to bring a new level of consciousness into organizations. I imagined creating a short documentary film in which I interview a wide range of thought leaders and weave together a compelling story that would give more context and inspiration for the work I aspired to do with leaders and their organizations. It would be a rite of passage of sorts, one that would not only be a rich source of insights, but also serve to build my credibility as a thought leader / storyteller of the new paradigm.

My BEING and DOING were now once again fully aligned. What happened afterwards in terms of manifestation is truly exponential in nature. Two professional documentary film makers decided to join me on this adventure. The film opened up many opportunities to share my story with organizations and as a result, earn their trust. The researcher / explorer mindset that I had recommitted to led to the creation of the Human Potential Assessment tool which has now been implemented in 20+ organizations with close to 5000 registered users. The Being at Full Potential organization has grown from 2 founders in 2012 to a global network of 150 certified Human Potential coaches. None of this would have been possible without a realignment of the DOING with my new state of BEING.

How do I decide if the BEING is the right investment for me?

 

Deep down in our hearts we already know the answer to this question, however, the following decision tree can help us navigate what can easily feel like an excessively complex / high risk commitment to make. If you conclude that the time has come for the BEING to shift and the DOING to follow, please give us a call. We are happy to assist!

 

Impact at individual level – an inspiring story by Marta Seweryn

My name is Marta Seweryn, I am working in the Marketing industry for more than 10 years and currently managing the European Events Team for an American based company, called National Instruments.

I have just had my first professional coaching sessions with Agnes Vad and would like to share my personal experience from the meetings and how the whole coaching process helped me to accelerate the successful execution of my dream goals in my private and professional life.

 

My story, My Challenge

 

Recently, I have found myself in a situation where plenty of private and business decisions were to be made and I spent a lot of time processing pros and cons of each decision, which was stopping me from putting things in motion in a timely effective manner with a proper priority. It was mostly my private life happenings reflecting on everything else in this time frame.

I have chosen to attend meetings with a professional coach as I hoped it will help me to gain efficiency on my operational level and set my prime concern on the importance and criteria to move forward.

I did not feel good about myself being in a situation where I cannot apply my knowledge and experience to set my thoughts on a right path, it was uncomfortable and I felt unsuccessful, it reflected on my work-life balance. So I certainly wanted to develop from this state.

 

How the Human Potential Assessment Helped Me…

 

“Being at Full Potential” (beingatfullpotential.com) is the name of the method that Agnes has chosen to use during our sessions. Agnes explained that this model is a framework to

Assess and unlock human potential and aims to measure and consistently enable potential realization.

Before we met for sessions, I have done a test (=Human Potential Assessment) consists of several questions about my behaviors in certain situations.

And I recognized that there is much more to your life that is visible today to others.

I was very curious about my result as my competitive side was expecting I score high. The result came with a graphical outcome with colors in the shape of a house. I did not understand my result fully, but I could see categories that were assessed and how I scored.

My focus went to look at the item that was underscored, and so was for the first 2 sessions, even when Agnes explained the model in detail to me and we started to discuss what the results mean in relation to my life. Agnes helped me to understand that the underscoring in my understanding is only reflecting that there is a development in the area which would help me to be at my full potential. With her guidance I came to discover what it means for me and how

I can drive myself to get where I want to be

This was an incredible realization, as was so aligned to what was troubling me at the very moment. She pointed my attention to see that apart from the “underscored” item there is all the rest that I shall feel good about as I am acting mostly in agreement with my true self. The model itself as well showed me how well I have developed my fundamentals and construction of the house* (see the below image, coloring is only an example!), straight to the roof, which in fact represents my being in life.

House Framework – Human Potential Assessment

Example for the House Framework in the Human Potential Assessment

 

Every session we were coming back to the report and to the house, step by step I saw how it builds up creating my life and reflects on my current state. Now even that sessions are over I went to see “my house” again to remind myself where I am and relate to my strong fundamentals.

This model is unique. It easily helped Agnes to set the ground for the talk and we were tackling it from multiple dimensions. Agnes showed me that perception of this model is very individual, every other person can see it differently. It is constructed in a way that this is (typically) not a one-time touch. It is unique, because it gives an opportunity to revise it again after a time. It is great to have a person who can guide you through the model, as Agnes did for me, also pointing me in the right direction at times when I was going on my self-discovery journey.

 

My Challenges and Breakthroughs

 

There were few challenges and breakthrough moments for me in the whole session cycle. We were talking about myself, so I went through states where I was too confident, not confident at all, scared for a while, but also happy, proud of myself, thankful to Agnes, feeling harmonic and feeling accomplished to what we have agreed as session ultimate goal.

When the challenge comes, I decide how will I go about it.

My biggest challenge was to set a proper goal for myself. For that, I had to first understand, what is that I really want and what will make me happy. Agnes’ support was priceless in this step. She took me back in time in my own life to get an insight from me and say it out loud what is important for me. What makes the difference and what are the criteria I applied for choosing goals in my past which made me feel happy and accomplished.

That was…

My biggest realization, as I understood it is not the first time in life that I struggle with a similar situation…. not the first time I have a challenge….. and certainly not the first time that I may fail and find a way to stand up to still be able to pursue on my goal. The most important to me was to address and understand that it was fear of failure that was stopping me from executing on my own goals and also the pressure of the environment that made me choose goals that do not make me entirely happy.

The moment I realized that I felt like I became a different person like I got my wings back and was ready to fly. I knew I remembered my successful pattern at that moment, which will help me go through such situations for this time and for any time in the future, as it already did in the past with quite a significant track record.

 

1. The discomfort of the darkroom.

The other challenge was to go through the thoughts and emotions that were blurring my picture and were stopping me from arriving at the ultimate goal. I think it was also not easy for Agnes as she had to steer my emotions, which were very uncomfortable at first.

I felt scared and trapped in a dark room surrounded by my problems.

That association indicates my lack of comfort when it comes to talking about my true emotions. You could feel pretty much the same when someone pushes you out of your comfort zone. With a set of questions, Agnes took me on the journey with my emotions and showed me two sides of being.

And I could decide which way I want to go to!

It was difficult, as I felt I would give up on myself while sharing out. I only achieved the next step when we talked through with Agnes what would be the consequences of sharing my emotions. I decided that they are absolutely something that I can live with and even want to happen. It was a huge relief that I am back to my true self where my emotions can be in front of me. Sometimes the solution is easy, but we often do not see it.

 

2. The difference between “I think” and “I feel”.

Agnes pointed to me very accurately that at the beginning of our discussions I would always say “I think”. My answer, my reaction was coming from my brain. It is incredible that after having a breakthrough moment I started to use “I feel”.

There is a disconnection between your heart and mind, but in fact, your mind is giving all the answers.

But your feelings are not always in agreement with what your mind would answer. This often becomes an internal conflict and leads to struggle and personal discomfort of not finding the right answer.

I became more mindful of what my reaction to situations is.

As a result,

I am proud of myself to be able to express myself from my heart, which is an agreement with my self-being and helps me develop my goals, at any stage of life.

 

3. Curiosity – look at the things around you with a fresh eye.

The final challenge for me was to go out of the scheme of behaviors that I know and repeat, and which don’t bring the desired outcome, instead they create a feeling of stagnation with no result.

The first step was to see and understand them. Through the model and recalling my core values Agnes explained to me, how shall I look at such behaviors to find them, and also made me realize that I am strong with my base potential to go about it the way I want.

I could consciously repeat such behaviors or decide to use another way to go about the situation. I certainly was using too little the fresh look, and right after this realization I started to apply it and, believe me, I couldn’t be happier from the outcome.

Your authenticity shines through in environments that are comfortable to you but when challenged you might find yourself falling back on old patterns and behaving in ways that “protect” you rather empower you.

 

The power of a coach

 

The best is that Agnes was there to facilitate the session, ask the right questions, and help me to arrive at conclusions, but it was me who set session goal, it was me to take chance to solve it, it was me to share my thoughts and feelings.

It made me feel very strong and gain control of what I want and how will I get it.

This is an incredible feeling to be back at a driving seat.

I believe that is nearly impossible in a similar time frame if you don’t have a wise person and the Being at Full Potential method next to you. A coach will help you with the problem you came with and will do much more in the process, I recommend this experience to anyone.

 

Final thoughts

 

Trust your judgment, you will feel when you need a coach.

It is true what they say, if you are ready for a coach, a coach will find you.

There are times in life, when things do not fall together as you plan, either in business or privately. For this times if you want to make sure you are using your full potential to push your life in the right direction, I am sure a coach will help you.

This is what Agnes did with me in our sessions. Don’t be scared, look how much you can gain on a self-discovery.

You think you are utilizing your potential, but you can be so much better at any time, you just need to focus on the right goal at a time.

This discovery process that will trigger deep commitment and lasting engagement. At the end of this phase, the next steps and personal road map will be clearer, as it was for myself.