Coaching Model: Resilience & Agility

A Coaching Model Created by Daniel Chng
(Business Coach, UNITED STATES)

The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.― Robert Jordan, The Fires of Heaven

2020 – as we venture into a new decade who could have foreseen the seismic shift we would be thrown into. The foreboding name of a virus, COVID-19 would be impacting everyone. Changing our healthcare, our economy, our work, our outlook…… Our way of life! Humankind has to adapt and adapt quickly to this change or be left behind. So, what do we need to understand? I see a three-stage process:

• Understand what the ‘new’ world will look like - The New Normal.
• Understand how to deal with this Change.
• Developing skills to adapt to this Change - Resilience and Agility

Inspired by these Sources and reference materials― World economic forum, McKinsey & Forbes

Our New Normal – Post COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 Pandemic will change the way of life and we will need to adapt, whether we like it or not. This pandemic has exposed shortfalls but at the same time, it has also created opportunities if we know what and where to look. From a macro perspective, there will be geopolitical shifts happening. It has revealed that most countries have to relook at their approach to governing, healthcare, and the economy. This pandemic does not differentiate between first-world countries and third-world countries. In fact, what matters is how each country responds and deals with the pandemic that makes the difference.

Here is what I see as the top 5 trends that will emerge in the new normal:

• Accelerated adoption of digital, shared, and ‘gig’ economy.
• Increase in remote working and interactions.
• Shifts in educational curriculum and delivery.
• Increase in social awakening and movement.
• Increase in environmental awareness and its impact.

These changes will impact a large portion of the global population in all aspects of our modern life. Hence, society has to adapt to these changes. It’s just another stage of our evolution. So the need to understand what this change entails and how to adapt will be crucial.

Understanding and Managing Change

Adapting to the new normal is inevitable. The need for change is often spoken about, but practicing and doing it well is another matter. So what are the key success factors in dealing with change? According to PROSCI (a global leader in change management, established since 1994), for change to be successful, we need to balance between the technical and the people side of change. When people find it difficult to adapt to change, then chances are they lack understanding of this balance. For example, the technical side refers to learning and adopting tools and skills to collaborate virtually due to social distancing i.e. Zoom, Skype, etc. What we seldom do well is addressing the people side of change. And rightly so because it’s so much more subjective and vague. The two important skills that we can develop in addressing the people side of change in the new normal are – Resilience & Agility.

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.― John C. Maxwell

Resilience & Agility

Oxford dictionary’s definition of resilience – the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness and agility – ability to think and understand quickly. In this new normal, these are highly important and needed skills to not just survive, but thrive! Helping clients in the new normal requires an approach that will allow them to find their own understanding and the ability to apply it in their own new normal. Being resilient and agile will enable them to discover four key areas for themselves:

• Their goals and objectives.
• Their plans, actions, and motivation to achieve it.
• Their feeling and emotions about the situation.
• Their vision of their new normal.

As a coach, one very important ingredient to assist our clients finds their own resilience and agility is to understand what these skills mean for them and see it from their perspective. The quickest way for our clients to adopt and apply these skills is if they recognize its value and buy into it. Hence, the need for us to empathize with them.

I think we all have  Empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it. – Maya Angelou

So let’s take the C.A.R.E approach in empathizing with our clients:

• C Having a collaborative spirit and mindset when empathizing with someone. It’s all about our intention. Our starting point is the most important. Collaboration sometimes is an overused word and can become a motherhood statement. So we need to really dig deep within ourselves and make it authentic.
• Being present and focus on your clients. This is how we earn the right to work with your clients with active listening. These are crucial steps in being and showing empathy for your clients.
• R Be in your clients’ moment. See the situation from your clients’ perspective. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and allow them into yours too. Show your understanding and concerns. This allows you to explore your clients’ reality. Establishing this connection allows us to build trust while empathizing with them.
• E Developing an emotional connection with your clients. Encourages them to be comfortable and open. We don’t need to be highly emotional to understand emotions. It’s in all of us. It’s a matter of allowing and giving yourself the freedom to feel. To access our own emotions we need, self-awareness. It’s what connects us with others. In business when we are so focused on objectives and goals, we need to consider emotions as well. How are they feeling about their objectives and goals?

To bring all this together and help clients are resilient & agile and to find their new normal.