Research Paper: Transcending from Helplessness to Ownership

Research Paper By Udayakumar Gopalakrishnan
(Life Coach, INDIA)

As I sit down in a pensive mood to reflect about a recent series of Coaching experiences, I’m simultaneously reliving the joy shared by the Client about the progress he made, his gratitude shared to me, with regard to the tangible outcomes and behavioral changes that he was able to bring about in his life, spanning both professional and personal facets and the fulfillment this journey rendered me.

I’m also enveloped by the feelings of satisfaction and delight in not just enabling him to move on in life, but also bristling with wellbeing of having contributed to his life. I acknowledge his contribution in having entirely surrendered with enhanced receptivity, to his growth process, as the Coaching sessions moved on from one to another.

For reasons of confidentiality, I’m retaining anonymity and for the sake of reference in this case study, and just for relating to the Coaching journey, I’m providing the name of the client as Ramesh.

Profile of Ramesh

After having acquired most of his education in a southern state of India, he acquired academic credentials of completing his under graduate and masters, from reputed college and university. After beginning his career in India, he served a long stint in the Middle East and moved back to India about a year ago. Most of his professional exposure has been in the banking industry and has been a consistent high performer in the leadership level and rated very high by the senior key stake holders within the multinational bank, where he works currently. His position reports to the CEO of the bank’s high profile business process outsourcing division. Considering that he holds a very senior strategic role, leading multiple teams and accountable for huge business stakes, the challenges that accompany his role, are very high and varied, at all times.

Going by Ramesh’s descriptions about himself, he came across as someone very dynamic, ambitious, grounded in traditional values, highly dependable in terms of delivery commitments to internal customers of the bank, a confident personality, looked upon by his juniors and considered highly reliable by his seniors and peers, to honor large scale commitments. He is one of the much sought after leadership resources in the organization and his professional views were recognized with a lot of significance. Thus in the BPO arm of the bank, his influence, decisions, actions and contributions were deemed very worthy.

This high profile personality exudes high degrees of self confidence and competences, for the role. He is happily married and blessed with a supportive wife and in turn they are blessed with a daughter and a son, who attend middle school, in a famous urban city in India. A small and happy family!

I had the privilege of Coaching Ramesh across multiple sessions and this particular document pertains to the first four Coaching sessions that I had with him, though I had a few more sessions with him later, within a space of 2 months. Each of the 4 Coaching sessions lasted for a minimum duration of one hour.

Let me share an interesting story of a Camel and its kid. So goes the dialogue!

Son: May I ask you some questions?
Mom: Sure, why son, is something bothering you?
Son: Why do camels have humps?
Mom: We are desert animals, we need humps to store water and we are known to survive without water.
Son: OK, then why are our legs long and our feet rounded?
Mom: Obviously they are meant for walking in the desert better than anyone does.
Son: OK, then why are our eyelashes long? Sometimes it bothers my sight.
Mom: My son, those long thick eyelashes are your protective cover. They help to protect your eyes from the desert sand and wind.
Son: Just one more question, mom…
Mom: Yes, dear?
Son: Then what are we doing in the ZOO?

Skills, knowledge, abilities and experiences are useful only if you discovered and utilized!