​When faced with a crisis it is a natural response for individuals and organisations to become defensive and inward looking, even while they are trying to appear open and transparent.  This tension can quickly become obvious to any outsider even if the reason for it is not always understood.   Not only will it create suspicion, but the toll on senior staff trying to maintain these two contradictory positions will soon begin to show. 
 
Recent scandals that have spread across the charity sector provided evidence, once more, of the challenge for board level staff to maintain a credible and consistent position throughout a long period of intense scrutiny.  Should they stumble even for a moment there is often a high price to pay.
 
In responding to this kind of crisis it is important to step towards the challenge.  This is a way of making sure that all of the issues are fully appreciated and understood by all of the key players within the organisation.  Reaching out towards those that are challenging us may seem counter intuitive.  However it demonstrates a willingness to engage fully with the problem.   Only by understanding the issues from the outsiders’ perspective, as well as your own, can you truly appreciate what needs to be done to overcome them.  Such a step requires a mix of courage and humility which needs to be authentic or it will be difficult to maintain.
 
Consistency of approach is also vital.  You are working hard to create confidence that all of the issues are understood, that their gravity is fully appreciated and therefore that they will be addressed appropriately.   However any wavering from the original message, however small, risks undermining everything that you may have achieved.  This does not just risk taking you back to square one, but could create the sort of backlash that requires even greater efforts to overcome and in some cases can only be resolved by senior resignations.
 
A Crisis Coach can help you to identify and then quantify the issues from the perspectives of everyone involved.  They are in a position to highlight the blind spots in your organisational thinking.  They can then work with you to develop a considered and practical response that addresses everyone’s concerns and support you through the process of communicating this both internally and externally. 
 
Having an independent Coach on the team puts you in a unique position.  They can help you explore the situation from every angle, safe in the knowledge that all discussions will be completely confidential.  They can recognise the impact of the cultural and other values of your organisation while not being subject to them.  They can connect more easily with the views and priorities of those outside of the organisation and can provide appropriate challenge in a safe place so that your responses address all of the concerns that have been, or may be, raised.  Finally they can be there to support you should there be any wobbles or moments of tired exasperation when it may be tempting to hit back.
 
Bringing in an outsider might not be your first thought when faced with a crisis, but perhaps it should be your second.
 
© 2018 Michael Golding

There has been a lot of research into the way our experiences are turned into memories.   A model currently popular with neuroscientists involves different areas of our brain being used to store short and long term memories.   Information regarding recent experiences is temporarily retained in one location within our brains before being moved to another for permanent storage. 
 
We can easily access this information while it remains in our short-term memory and take time to reflect upon what has occurred, possibly adding additional details.   If the experience stays with us it will be transferred to our long term memory and we will be able to draw upon it at any time in the future.  However, if information does not remain within our short term memory for long enough then it is effectively over-written with new information from our latest experience. 
 
This theory was developed using real-time imaging techniques to identify parts of the brain associated with short and long term memory with activity being tracked as different areas light up. This reminds me a little of the difference between information the Random Access Memory uses in the management of a computer system and the data transferred to the hard drive for permanent storage.
 
The model provides an insight into how we learn.  Studying intensely keeps information in our heads long enough to stay there and I suppose the practice of repetition, or learning by rote, is another proven way of retaining information though there is no guarantee that it is always understood.
 
This also explains the experience we sometimes have of seeming to operate on automatic pilot.  For example having driven somewhere that is very familiar to us and arrived safely without having any memory of how we got there.  This is possibly because the experience did not stay in our short term memory long enough to warrant it becoming permanent.
 
The deciding factor between what sticks and what is lost would seem to be the length of time the experience remains in our thoughts.  There are various reasons why it does not remain for long such as how important we believe it to be, or because more important information turned up and we chose to focus on that.
 
The time needed to create a memory also seems to vary depending upon the nature of the experience.  Tests have apparently shown that negative experiences do not need to be retained as long as positive experiences before becoming permanent memories.  One explanation for what is referred to as a negative bias is that it promotes learning from unpleasant experiences as a way of keeping us safe in the future.
 
If we need to retain positive experiences in our consciousness longer before they can be added to our store of memories, there may be a tendency for our memories to be weighted towards less pleasant experiences.

If this is the case, perhaps we can influence the balance of our memories by deliberately holding on to positive experiences so that they are retained.  This is possibly the science behind a lot of the practices promoted by positive psychology.  It might also provide further insights into the benefits we experience from contemplating the beauty of the natural world or reflecting upon the art, poetry and music that has been created through the years.
 
By taking sufficient time to focus on positive experiences, both as they occur and immediately after, we may be able to reset the balance of our memories so that pleasure outweighs pain.  This could mean taking more time to stare at a sunset, holding on to a delicious flavour for a few extra moments or staying a little longer with someone we care about.
 
Even if this is not the case, there is a strong argument for savouring the joy in life rather than brooding on life’s downturns.
 
© 2017 Michael Golding

​There is a concept that the Japanese call Ikigai which literally translated means the realisation of what one hopes and expects from life.  I prefer to think of it as finding your Useful Purpose as it has the potential to help us to identify a way of using our talents that will bring real and long lasting meaning to our lives. 
 
As a starting point, take some time to think about what you are good at.  You do not need to be thinking about this in terms of any existing roles or jobs you may have had or know about, but instead try to consider all of the special skills, talents and abilities that you have that might set you apart from others.   It might be helpful to reflect on any positive comments from other people as it is often difficult to make a reasonable assessment of our own abilities.
 
As we are looking for something that we will devote a lot of our time to, it is important that we can gain some income from this.   The next area to reflect upon is what you do that you can be paid for.  Again, try not to limit this to any particular role but think about the different ways you might be paid for using your particular combination of skills and experience.  It might also be helpful to reflect upon the various contractual relationships that currently exist and that might come into use in the future.
 
If you now put these two groups together, perhaps there is some type of activity that is common to them both.  If this is the case you may be able to identify a suitable Profession.  Consider how it would be to train for a career that over time might bring increasing status and the material possessions that come with a growing income. 
 
Now think about what the world needs.  Again try to view this in terms of skills and qualities rather than existing jobs or roles, and also reflect upon how you will choose to define the world.  You may decide to think in global terms of the planet and its many peoples as a whole, or you might prefer a more localised definition around your particular community.  Whatever definition you choose, try to think objectively of what that particular world needs the most.
 
Compare this with your earlier thoughts on what you can be paid for.  If you can identify an overlap between these groups, you may be able to identify your Vocation.  You could work towards gaining the respect of the community from your personal commitment to making a contribution that is valued by others. 
 
Now take some time to think about what you love.  Think about what is most important to you, what gives you the most pleasure, and what makes you happy.  Set these against what you are good at and see if there is any common ground.  This may help you to identify your Passion.  Pursuing this could bring you a real and long lasting sense of fulfilment. 
 
Look again at what you love and what the world needs.  If you can find a way of combining both of these, you may be able to identify your Mission. In this way you could have a sense of purpose that is based upon a firm belief that you are making a difference.
 
Each of these could be the culmination of a lifelong journey.  However if you were to achieve any one of these, would it bring complete satisfaction, or would you be left with feelings or desires that were unfulfilled? 
 
What if you were able to identify some way of bringing all of these together?  What you love, what you're good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for? Then you would be combining a Profession with Vocation, Passion and Mission.  If you could achieve all of this, then some would say that you would have found your Ikigai.  I would say that you will have truly found your Useful Purpose.
 
Finding our Useful Purpose requires a deep and often lengthy search of self, and it may take many years to accomplish. This is not something that many people can achieve by themselves and a skilled coach can be an invaluable companion on this journey.
 
Identifying and then achieving any one of these is a challenge, and that may be enough.  But imagine what your life would be like if you were able to bring all of this together, and imagine the impact that you might have on the lives of others?
 
© 2017 Michael Golding

​Like many children of my generation, my bicycle was an important part of every summer.  It gave me the freedom to choose where I wanted to go and the thrill of freewheeling down a steep hill with the wind on my face.   Some days I would pedal with intention aiming to get somewhere as quickly as possible, while other days I would meander around with no particular place to go but enjoying the motion and the world changing all around me.
 
Since then there have been many times in my life when I have felt that despite my best efforts I was not getting anywhere.  It seemed like I was pedalling with the brakes on.  While I am putting lots of energy in trying to move forward, I am also taking actions that prevent this from happening.  This is not necessarily about sabotaging myself so that I am unable to move forward.  It seems to have more to do with conflicting forces in the desire to change and the desire to stay the same, or at least to slow down the change.  Whatever the reason, the result is slow, or no, progress and a lot of energy being wasted.
 
Perhaps it is passion that is driving the pedals but another emotion is keeping your hands clamped on the brakes, the impulsive part of you wants to move forward while the more rational part is keeping you in check. The dreamer is peddling while the pragmatist keeps the brakes on.  Or perhaps it is the other way around. Maybe the head is driving the pedals while the heart holds on to the brakes through fear of where this might lead.
 
It is important to understand where the power to change is coming from and if it will be sustainable for the whole of the journey.  The commitment needs to be strong enough to keep you moving with plenty in reserve to get you where you want to go.  Uncertainty about either of these risks leaving you stranded.   
 
To overcome resistance we need to know what this energy is drawing upon.  Without this knowledge the conflict will remain and you will be pitching the forward power against your desire to slow down, wasting energy and leading to exhaustion and frustration.  Resistance is most likely to be rooted in some degree of reluctance or fear.  A lack of commitment to the journey, uncertainty about your destination or a fear of what it might cost and what you might have to endure will keep you holding tight to the brakes irrespective of the reasons to drive forward.
 
This failure to launch is given lots of negative names and yet it may be the result of positive forces which have been set in opposition to one another.  Whatever the split it is important to understand this conflict so that it can be resolved and we can move forward into the future. 
 
For me the solution lies in the third element to this journey which is the most important of all.  The energy at the handlebars needs to be focussed not on slowing us down but on steering us safely along the right road.  Whether this takes us to a specific destination or is more a direction of travel depends upon our personal goals and ambitions. 
 
Finding the direction we really wish to go is a challenge, but once we have identified this it will be easier to resolve the conflicting forces that have kept us in one place. 
 
Maybe it is enough to set off without a definitive destination in mind, or perhaps there needs to be a detailed route with waypoints marked off along the way.  Some people like to take one day at a time while others prefer to have a life mapped out.  Whatever road we take we will always have to make regular adjustments to avoid fresh pitfalls and dangers and to respond to what may be around the corner.
 
We need to use the energy at the pedals to decide how fast we want to go and the brakes to help us avoid obstacles along the way and bring us to a halt when we arrive.  There will be times when it is a struggle to get up the hill and times when we need to get off and rest. There will also be times when we are freewheeling down that hill with our feet off the pedals, our hands off the brakes and the wind in our hair.
 
© 2017 Michael Golding

There is a much quoted aphorism about the benefits of teaching people to fish over simply giving them fish to eat.  What is not included in the story is that when you teach someone to fish, it may be a while before they catch anything.  If their need is now, it may be too long to wait till they have learned the necessary skills to be consistently successful.  They may even be distracted by their current need and not be able to fully engage with your teachings.
 
The ideal solution is the one which most effectively addresses both current and future needs.  Is it better to have someone come and do the work for you or for someone to show you how to do the work?  If the task is something that will only be required once during the lifetime of the organisation, or requires a level of expertise that takes a long time to achieve, then clearly buying in the talent makes sense.  If the skills are going to be needed regularly, and will enhance the talent pool of the team, then training would seem to be a sensible option.
 
Perhaps, though, there is more to this process of involving others in our business.  Getting in an outsider may bring new perspectives, but also allows senior managers to shift some of the responsibility for decision-making outside of the organisation.  Where the consultant organisation is a recognised leader in the field, or even simply a very large organisation, there can be an assumption that they know more than we do and that we should do whatever they suggest.  Of course if it turns out not to be helpful then we can blame them.
 
This deference to another’s expertise can come at a high price for while they may have knowledge of other similar organisations that they have worked with, do they really understand the history and culture of your particular group of people?  In some ways more importantly, how easy will it be to deliver top down change which has been designed and developed by outsiders?
 
Word of mouth is regarded as the single most useful measure in gaining business for consultants and their organisations.  We recommend a good builder because we can see the results of their labours.  On what basis can we truly recommend a consultant whose advice and support might not deliver results for several years?  Even when the results are positive, without the benefit of a control we have no way of measuring this intervention against any other we might have chosen, including doing nothing.
 
A list of former clients is important but for many organisations, particularly those in the public sector, the fact that another organisation similar to yours may have used their services is often seen as being enough without any evaluation of the benefit received, particularly in relation to the cost.
 
There is an often repeated story among government departments that they would not consider hiring anyone with a daily rate below a certain figure.  This is based on the assumption that if their charges are low then they can’t be any good.  There is both good and bad sense in this and neither obviate the risk inherent in bringing unknown outsiders into your organisation to tell you how it should be run.
 
Consultants bring a range of skills but the most important, from their point of view, is to be able to convince you that they know exactly what needs to be done.  This is a skill which is not transferred as part of the transaction and so you need to keep going back for more.  Indeed, many consultants seek to cloak their efforts in mystery to maintain demand for their services and most will seek to retain intellectual property rights over any learning that emerges, whatever its source.
 
Where there is unwillingness within the organisation to draw upon individual and collective resources to resolve issues, possibly from a reluctance to share thoughts and feelings or an inability to learn from colleagues through listening and reflection, there is no choice but to call in the fixers.
 
Imagine instead that you could combine the in depth knowledge and understanding of the organisational insider with the ability to step back and evaluate individual contributions across the management team within the context of the organisation’s current and future needs.  I would suggest that only those with sufficient in depth knowledge of existing resources are in a position to identify what is needed, what is available and how best to bridge that gap.   This form of leadership takes knowledge, skill, confidence and authority.
 
You cannot coach knowledge.  Instead a coach can support people in developing the skills and resources they need to find things out for and about themselves, their colleagues and their organisation.  A coach can help sense-check conclusions and evaluate proposed actions using real-time scenarios, to create a solid platform of knowledge, skills and understanding. This can become the launch pad for each new phase of personal and organisational growth.
 
Being supported in growing through a difficult situation increases our confidence that we will be able to resolve it the next time.  Learning for the future creates a spiral of growth in skills and confidence that is very different from the circular process of asking outsiders to fix our issues for us.
 
Is it better to be supported until you are able to ride your bike, or would you rather have someone explain how it is done and leave you to it, or even worse someone who will ride the bike for you then after a little while hand it back and walk away?
 
To return to the earlier analogy, a coach is able to support you in developing your skills so that not only are you able to make a proper assessment of your food needs you can also find the means to resolve them.  It may just be that what you really need isn’t fish.
 
© 2016 Michael Golding