Call +61 403 600 248

International Coach Academy

Coach Training School

  • Regions
    • USA & Latin America
    • Canada
    • Asia
    • Australia & NZ
    • United Kingdom
    • Europe
    • Africa
    • India
    • Middle East
  • Language
    • English
    • Italiano
    • 课程选择
  • Contact
  • OUR SCHOOL
    • Training Methodology
    • Our Story
    • Faculty
  • PROGRAMS
    • Advanced (150hrs)
    • Professional (125 hrs)
    • Vocational (76 hrs)
    • Workplace (60 hrs)
    • Bridging (BYO prior training)
    • Alumni (Lifetime Member)
  • STUDENT LIFE
    • Learning Online
    • Flexible Schedules
    • Industry Experience
    • Your Coaching Model
    • Your Coaching Niche
    • FlipIt Coaching Framework
    • Business Building
  • COACHCAMPUS
    • Inside CoachCampus
    • ICA Coaches
    • Graduate Yearbooks
    • Student Support
  • RESOURCES
    • What is Coaching?
    • Certification & Credential Guide
    • Coaching Power Tools
    • Coaching Models
    • Coaching Research
    • Library
    • ICA Blog
  • Join Login

Articles, Case Studies & Interviews

You are here: Home » COACH PORTFOLIOS » Power Tools » Power Tool: Flexibility vs. Rigidity

Power Tool: Flexibility vs. Rigidity

2012/12/10

A Coaching Power Tool created by Jeanne A. Heinzer
(Career and Executive Coaching, SWITZERLAND)

Thus, flexibility, as displayed by water, is a sign of life. Rigidity, its opposite, is an indicator of death. Anthony Lawlor

Be clear about your goal but be flexible about the process of achieving it. Zig Ziglar

Rigidity is one of the things that can easily get in the way of our personal and professional success. When and why do we cultivate that attitude?

  • We have one fixed idea and follow that idea, no matter what happens around us.
  • Things don’t work out as planned and we hold on to our idea not realising that openness for new options would bring us higher rewards.
  • We are unable to create lightness in our thoughts and actions. Our mind and body become rigid.
  • Underlying beliefs about what success is, how it is being achieved and how things and people have to be and to behave can lead to rigidity. Those beliefs can be a heavy weight on our shoulders and pull us down.

Rigidity may lead to us being too focused on achieving our goal. We feel that something doesn’t  work, but we do not know what it is. We become almost obsessed which can be paralyzing providing us with exactly the opposite outcome. We may be pushy which in return creates a reaction from the people around us. We wish to be in control and be powerful, but are actually not in control, because we control others and become attached to the outcome. We do not move forwards. Getting too caught up in our own world we actually create a distance from the real world.

Imagine the following situation:

Helena is a 29 year old Swiss woman, who worked in Public Relations and tourism. When her husband was asked to move to London for a duration of three to four years, she hesitated because it meant giving her career up for the unknown. Helena is convinced that continuing her career in PR and tourism and finding a job as soon as possible will be the key to her happiness in London. After her arrival in London, Helena focuses 100% on her job search. She has several job interviews. One would be working for a five star hotel in the city of London as their European PR Manager. Her dream job. However, a few days later, Helena finds out that will not get the job offer she dreamt off. Helena is devastated and angry. She has a good CV, got invited for a few interviews and really knows what she wants. She feels stressed out and is exhausted. Helena has no friends and is unhappy wishing to move back home. This is such a hostile place and nobody values her know how. Helena feels alone, helpless and stuck. She decides to seek the help of a transition and career coach to explore her situation and resolve her inner struggle.

What happens when flexibility comes into our life

When we are too focused we may feel numb and may feel a weight on our shoulders. Flexibility is life and lightness. Think of light balloons versus heavy boxes as shown on the first page. We need to be flexible in our minds and in our body. Remaining focused on a goal while detaching from the objective is the key. Surprisingly, what we want and are focused on happens, when we go with the flow and surrender. Life then unfolds to its best. Holding on too firmly to our objectives may result in not being flexible and open for new options. Although we are trained to believe that focus is enough to reach our objectives life often knows better what is good for us. If we relax what is best will come into our life. As Byron Katie puts it in her book ‘A thousand names for joy’ ‘when you become a lover of what is, the war is over. ‘And those options may often be the better ones when we look back one day.

The following table sums up the differences between flexibility and rigidity:

Flexibility

  • It can be anything
  • Lots of options will unfold and I can choose
  • feels light
  • possibilities and potential are endless
  • being flexible and open is the real power

Rigidity

  • it has to be this way
  • feels heavy
  • possibilities and potential are limited
  • feel pressure and pass on pressure
  • feel limitation and act in a limited and limiting way
  • being controlled, but having no real control

Pages: 1 2 3

Filed Under: Power Tools Tagged With: coach switzerland, executive coach, free coach training, jeanne a heinzer

How We Train

 

Read More About e-Learning at ICA

Course Guide

Fill out my online form.

Search

Categories

About Our School

Become a Coach
Coaching Niches & Specialities
Our Methodology
Faculty
Class Schedules
Online Community

 

Resources

What is Coaching?
Certification & Credentialing Guide
Graduate Research Papers
Graduate Yearbooks

Locations/Contact

Global: Clik Collective
Asia: Duo Tower
Postal: PO Box 3190 Mentone East,
Melbourne AUSTRALIA, 3194

Email: [email protected]
Questions: Ask here

Copyright © 2023 · International Coach Academy ·

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • OUR SCHOOL
    • Training Methodology
    • Our Story
    • Faculty
    • Back
  • PROGRAMS
    • Advanced (150hrs)
    • Professional (125 hrs)
    • Vocational (76 hrs)
    • Workplace (60 hrs)
    • Bridging (BYO prior training)
    • Alumni (Lifetime Member)
    • Back
  • STUDENT LIFE
    • Learning Online
    • Flexible Schedules
    • Industry Experience
    • Your Coaching Model
    • Your Coaching Niche
    • FlipIt Coaching Framework
    • Business Building
    • Back
  • COACHCAMPUS
    • Inside CoachCampus
    • ICA Coaches
    • Graduate Yearbooks
    • Student Support
    • Back
  • RESOURCES
    • What is Coaching?
    • Certification & Credential Guide
    • Coaching Power Tools
    • Coaching Models
    • Coaching Research
    • Library
    • ICA Blog
    • Back