The Rule of St. Benedict, a sixth century monk, stated that the two activities to elevate the soul are work and prayer. Benedict wrote
Idleness is the enemy of the soul, therefore all the community must be occupied at definite times in manual labor and at other times in lectio divina (Smith 2009).
The monks invented a clock to regulate and measure their time for worship and labor. Each day a monk would watch the clock and ring a bell during the appointed hours for work and prayer. The notion that “idleness is the enemy of the soul” became prevalent in the monasteries. They worked hard and they spent four or five hours each day reading and praying.
In 1370, Cologne, Germany erected a public clock and passed an ordinance that established work day hours and various curfews. Clock time slowly overpowered natural time: light and dark; sun and moon; seasonal changes. Later, machines emerged which were models of efficiency that worked non-stop and tirelessly until it broke down. New methods of productivity and the work force sprouted with unintended consequences. Frederick Wilson Taylor took a stop watch to the Midvale Steel plant and timed each worker on various tasks. He then created “the system” with ways for workers to perform their tasks most efficiently. Even though the workers hated the system, productivity soared. In 1911, in The Principles of Scientific Management, Taylor wrote, “In the past, man has been first; in the future the system must be first.”
Theology professor and author James Bryan Smith writes, “We invented the machine and then took it as its life model. We came to see the human person as yet another machine. The more machine-like I am the better” (Smith 2009). Some people have embraced the idea that activity equals productivity. Introspection, schedule flexibility, recreation time, and contemplation are possibly deemed as a priceless commodity, often dolled in rations. At one time, a personal retreat may have included a weekend getaway, some quiet time to journal or read. Now an uninterrupted meal or shower could be perceived as potentially extravagant!
As coaches, we have the incredible opportunity to invest in another person’s journey through their reflection process. We can be like excavators in a person’s plot of land, their heart. We can help a client clear away figurative debris, mold, trees, litter, and help them envision a fresh landscape. During a coaching session, both client and coach get to temporarily disconnect from a worldly agenda and focus on tilling the soil of the client’s internal garden. Ideas are seeds of significance. While every idea is not necessarily a good idea, the partnership of introspection and coaching can help explore, investigate, and test the idea. In the coaching arena, we use powerful questions to uncover what lies within the heart of the client’s soil. We water with encouragement, fertilize with support, use our consistent presence as sunlight, and patiently wait for seeds to blossom from the roots of our client. As fresh soil is uncovered through a coach’s respect and trust in the client’s perception, new shoots can grow.
When internal rocks or landslides present themselves in the excavation process, the coach is there to be sensitive and reassure the client. The coach advocates new behaviors that color and change the appearance of the client’s life garden. Confident coaching flexes with the client’s stages of gardening. Just as earthly seasons shift, the intervals of a person’s life also shift. We may be coaching through a planting time, encouraging through the waiting time, or celebrating amidst a bumper crop harvest. At each growth phase, we assure the client that we are supporting them, promoting their self-discipline, and acknowledging their maximum personal effectiveness.
Dr. Gary Chapman recognizes the importance of stillness and awareness of our inner being. “Having a quiet, patient spirit throughout the day is countercultural in our harried world. But its effects can be life changing for us as well as for others. People notice when we are patient with strangers in line, with our kids at the park, and with our co-workers in meeting, because it is so much more common to show impatience. A patient stillness in attitude, words, and behavior, even in the midst of stress, always stands out” (Chapman, 2013). Coaching invites a client to visit the coach’s intentional stillness. We open the door to a welcoming place where they are free to process their ideas, responses, experiences, and goals. Coaches encourage discovery of a virtual skylight in the living room of a person’s authentic being. The client will not be rushed, will be fully listened to, and grow closer to a more complete understanding of themselves.