Jonathan had just started a contract position where he had hoped to be hired on permanently. He was looking for a coach who could help him navigate his new role with that goal in mind while also getting clear about his overall career direction. As someone with extensive military experience, he knew the value of working with a coach.
Professional athletes have coaches, bodybuilders and fitness people have coaches. Why not get a coach for the work aspect of your life? I’m a big Tony Robbins fan and he says, ‘The most successful people in the world have a coach.’ Have somebody help guide you, help identify clarity and guidance/tactics with whatever you’re trying to do.
Working with Alida helped him step back and gain clarity about his long-term goals and the kinds of roles where he could excel. He also gained awareness about some default thought patterns that had the potential to hold him back. Identifying and breaking down these automatic thought processes made a difference in how he addressed work challenges, making it less likely that he would go into overdrive and push through without taking care of himself or losing sight of other priorities in his life.
The ability to continue practicing the work we did together is so helpful. I think the biggest takeaway for me was the awareness that these simple concepts and frameworks even exist and being able to put them into practice. Having somebody point these things out was 90% of the battle for me.
Building that awareness helped Jonathan see the bigger picture with his role and his surroundings from a different perspective. This was particularly important work to have done when just a few months into the job, the entire project was cancelled, leaving Jonathan and his colleagues scrambling for work.
Since I had better personal awareness, it allowed me to have better political and situational awareness with respect to work. It allowed me to take the pain better…to relax and not be as stressed about the things I couldn’t control.
Because of the work he had done with Alida’s help, Jonathan was able to stay positive. Despite the uncertainty, he got in motion toward finding his next role.
Many people have difficulty with uncertainty. When you’re in the middle of it, it’s all about little wins and building momentum. But if you focus on the end state and the unknown, it becomes a mental disaster. Similar to some of my military training, Alida’s practices helped me to focus on the present moment.
Through their work together, Jonathan was able to get clear about what he really wants. Their exploration helped him uncover that he really loves and is highly skilled at bringing large groups of people together to achieve a complex mission. He’s also great at supporting team members and coaching them toward unprecedented growth. That’s where he thrived in the military and it’s the role he was playing on the contract project. Having a broad understanding of his skill set and experiences helped open up new possibilities for his job search.
I realized I shouldn’t focus on a particular industry or role. What I love to do and am particularly good at is getting a group of people together, mobilizing them to reach a goal, and supporting their development along the way.
Getting clear about that helped him hone in on the roles he really wanted and was qualified for. Despite the setbacks of a health challenge along the way, Jonathan secured a new position, gaining a foothold into a role where he’s doing some of what he loves, and where he sees possibilities for expansion and growth.
I think Alida’s work would benefit anyone with a limited focus who’s been doing the same thing for a long time and doesn’t know there are other options — someone who is overworked and needs self-reflection and guidance with work-life balance. Life shouldn’t be like that. That initial change can be painful but it’s worth it.
