A Coaching Power Tool By Fiona Shaw, Transformation Coach, UNITED KINGDOM
Enable Change or a Transformation Opportunistic vs. Frustrated
‘Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.’[1]George Bernard Shaw
This Power Tool is around opening your mind to enable Change or a Transformation. Being open to new opportunities is a great enabler and having an opportunistic view on an issue can enable.
What is Opportunistic?
Opportunistic is when someone is open to opportunities and sees the potential of new ways or approaches. Enabling themselves to be open-minded and ‘willing to consider ideas and opinions that are new or different to your own[2].
Some common traits[3] of an opportunistic person are:
- Creativity
- Optimistic
- Resourceful
- Informed
What Is Frustrated?
Frustrated is defined as ‘feeling annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want.[4] If someone is frustrated they often have a closed mind and are not able to see the potential of a change. It is a very common reaction to change.
How Do You Flip From Frustrated to Opportunistic?
To enable a client to flip, the first step is for them to acknowledge that they are limiting themselves to being close-minded and recognizing certain behavior that prevents a flop.
Feeling a certain way is often due to:
- prior experiences
- feeling lack of control
- boredom
- tired
- change fatigue
Understanding what makes a client feel frustrated is key to moving forward. Need to work together to evoke awareness of what being frustrated looks like for them. The focus of the initial sessions could be on enabling a client to identify:
- Signs of being frustrated
- Causes of the frustration
- Acknowledging how frustration and a closed mindset are limiting
Steps to Enlighten Opportunistic Outlook
The client needs to have a moment of enlightenment on the connection between their frustration and the limits this may have on their opportunity to transform or change. As a coach we cannot inform the client of this connection, so we need to offer opportunities for them to see the cause the frustration is having.
Through our sessions, we need to enable them to have identified if they were not frustrated, they would be able to have different opportunities. Letting go of the frustration and the closed mind can be daunting especially if they have a lot of negative prior experiences.
Initially, visualization could be a good technique. Ask the client to visualize what a world would be like without limits or prior experiences. Often clients will reference ‘but I have tried that before and it’s not worked’ and an example of losing their mind due to prior experience. Using visualization techniques can enable the client to have a different experience.
Suggesting a client use a feeling diary. Tracking moments of frustration for a week could help a client identify triggers and acknowledge behaviors associated with feeling frustrated. Reviewing this diary with a mindset, ‘what would have been different if I had not reacted that way could help the client.
Powerful Questions to Support Moving From Frustrated to Opportunistic
Questions I often ask to help reframe their perspective:
Acknowledge Frustrated:
- What are your current feelings or concerns?
- What do you see as the blockers?
- What feelings do you have when you consider those blockers?
- How has that belief impacted your ability to reach your goal?
- What are you learning about yourself?
Enabling Opportunities:
- What have you done in the past to overcome this feeling of frustration?
- What could you gain from putting your frustration aside?
- What would you do if you did not feel this way?
- What could be possible?
- Where do you want to be?
This power tool has been designed to be used through transformational change. Over the years I have seen clients limited by frustration and used this experience to build out this tool. Although this tool could be used in many areas as frustration is a feeling which occurs often.
References
https://positivepsychology.com/
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/
https://www.lifecoach-directory.org.uk/
[1]https://www.goodreads.com/
[2]https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
[3]https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/
[4]https://dictionary.cambridge.org/