Inca Coaching

🌟Stop being so hard on yourself 🌟 A theme has come up in a number of my coaching sessions recently, so I thought I'd share it with the intention to be of use more widely. When we embark on our journey of self-awareness and start to work on our emotional regulation, this can often be a painful period because we are more conscious of our negative emotions and the irrational thoughts accompanying them. And because we now have the awareness, we have an expectation of ourselves to be able to rationalise and therefore simply dispel them altogether. When this doesn't happen, we get frustrated with ourselves, with inner talk like, "What's wrong with you, you know this isn't rational, so why are you still feeling like this?" This frustration and critical self-talk is like adding another layer of negative feelings on top of what's already there. It creates resistance and stops our emotions from naturally dissipating. The truth is, we are never going to be able to consciously choose our emotions because that's not how we are wired. Emotions are part of the human condition, and negative emotions such as fear, are triggered by our survival mechanism, whose role it is to identify potential threats. We do, however, have a conscious choice point between the negative emotional trigger and our response. This is where our focus needs to go. So, let go of the unrealistic expectations you have of yourself, acknowledge your emotions with compassion, and hold them more lightly. That way, rather than becoming trapped by your self-criticism, you will be able to step back and freely choose a response that you will be proud of. #selfawareness #selfleadership #emotionalregulation #leadershipcoach #selfcompassion #emotionalintelligence

🌟 How to stop fear from holding you back🌟 The topic of fear has surfaced as a recurring theme this week, both in coaching sessions with my clients and in my personal life, as I prepare to make a personal life change. Fear is an ever-present force in our lives as humans. We are wired to detect threat and feel fear as part of our survival mechanism. The problem is, our brain isn't able to differentiate between a real threat and a perceived one (which may or may not be in our consciousness), and as a result we can find ourselves in a 'freeze' or 'flight' state in which we procrastinate or avoid taking action altogether. Even when it is something we ultimately want to happen, the uncertainty of whether it is actually the right choice, or how it will play out, can prevent us from going for it. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to make fear disappear. The only way to beat it is to step into it. But how do we do this? I wrote this blog some time ago, and this week's conversations prompted me to share it again, with the intention that it might be useful to anyone experiencing procrastination or avoidance of action right now. #combattingfear #procrastination #avoidance #personaldevelopment #leadershipcoaching https://lnkd.in/epcQfQPy

Today is all about TEAM. I'm looking forward to starting a new journey with a Senior Management Team, helping them to align around their purpose and collective focuses, identify ways of working that will enable their success, and better understand their differences and how they can use them to their advantage. #teamdevelopment #teamcohesion ##highperformingteams

This week, I had the pleasure of observing a great leader in action. Whilst working with him and his team, several things struck me: 💫 He created clarity for his team. He was transparent, he gave them insight, and he painted a clear picture of the landscape and what was going to be needed to navigate it. 💫 He was consistent. He continued to anchor them to their vision and the plan that they had created, whilst providing sufficient flexibility to be able to adapt. 💫 He was inclusive. He made sure everyone, especially new team members, felt involved. 💫 He was empowering. He really listened to the team and allowed them to come up with the answers to their challenges. What great traits have you noticed in the leaders you work with? #leadership #empowerment #teamdevelopment

All set and ready to go! Today, we're continuing our work with a highly engaged and committed team, enabling them to progress their journey towards achieving their vision. With a specific focus around effectively navigating the current business context, developing their resilience, and continuing to show up as their best selves, our goal is to set them up for success in this next chapter. Here's to a great day ahead! #teamdevelopment #highperformingteams

🌟 If you want high performance you have to create psychological safety 🌟 Psychological safety is a term that is becoming ever more familiar, but regrettably not yet ever more present. Yet, it is one of the most critical enablers of high performance. Dr Amy Edmondson, who codified the concept, describes it as, ‘the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes, and the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking’. Psychological safety lies at the core of the brain’s survival mechanism. When we feel psychologically unsafe, the threat detection system in our brain activates our fight or flight response. Why is this important? Because, when this happens, it leads to us either being defensive (a fight response) or avoidant (a flight response). So, how does LACK OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY impact on performance? ➡️ It HINDERS OUR CAPACITY TO LEARN as we avoid trying new things for fear of getting them wrong. We can also lose the ability to learn from each other, if people are afraid to share their thoughts and ideas ➡️ It ACTS AS A BLOCKER TO CREATIVITY & INNOVATION. We’re not going to step into the unknown and take risks if we fear punishment for making mistakes. ➡️ It REDUCES OUR DECISION-MAKING EFFECTIVENESS. When we feel under threat, the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for our executive functions) stops operating effectively. ➡️ It IMPACTS ON OUR PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY when people are afraid to ask questions, as it is the questioning that helps us get to the root of the issue. ➡️ It CAN INCITE A CULTURE OF BLAME and people covering their backs to protect themselves and avoid punishment. ➡️ It LEADS TO INEFFICIENCIES, with people spending extra time on unnecessary activity to cover themselves, rather than trusting others. ➡️ It CAN RESULT IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS when people feel they have to defend themselves, OR PEOPLE NOT EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS for fear of attack. ➡️ Avoidance of asking questions for fear of judgement can lead to a LACK OF CLARITY and GREATER NUMBER OF MISTAKES BEING MADE. These are just some of the ways in which a lack of psychological safety plays out in the workplace, needless to say, the impact on people and organisational performance is huge. 🔆 As leaders, we need to be focusing on building openness and #trust, creating a learning environment and helping people play to win, rather than playing to avoid losing! 🔆 ❓️What’s one thing you could do differently to make your team and colleagues feel more psychologically safe❓️ #psychologicalsafety #leadership #leadershipcoach #highperformingteams #highperformance #unlockingpotential

🌟 As humans, we need to feel seen, heard, and understood 🌟 So, if you want to build powerful relationships with your team and colleagues... 💫 Actively listen to them 💫 Demonstrate that you've heard and understood them 💫 Show them empathy and compassion #leadership #powerfulrelationships #relationshipbuilding #influencing

I am soooooo excited! 😆 For some time, I've wanted to do a particular course, but it has either been fully booked or the dates haven't worked around my client commitments. This month, however, the stars have aligned, and a delegate cancellation has meant that today, I can start my training in systemic coaching and constellations. I can't wait to get started and be able to apply the new learning in service of the individuals and teams that I coach, helping them to understand the hidden systemic dynamics behind their challenges, so that they can create alignment with the relational systems that they are a part of and experience positive lasting change. First things first though, I'm topping up on some fresh air and sunshine to assist the learning process 😃 #coachdevelopment #systemiccoaching #constellationscoaching #leadershipcoaching

🔥 THE DEEP & QUIET POWER OF INTROVERTS 🔥 Being an introvert in a dominantly extroverted world can feel tough. Introverts are often misinterpreted as being 'aloof', 'cold', 'disengaged', or not being 'charismatic' enough. The truth is, introverts are like a surprise package that, when opened, reveal the most brilliant gifts. They are great listeners and they are thoughtful and considered, often bringing some of the best quality thinking into their teams and organisations. In my experience, they can also have great presence, it's just done in a quieter, more subtle way. This video beautifully illustrates the experience of an introvert and the beauty of introversion. ➡️ To the extroverts among us (I'm one of them): ✅️ Be conscious of not dominating conversations. ✅️ Give your introverted colleagues space to think and recharge. ✅️ Invite them into discussions to share their considered ideas and reflections. ✅️ Challenge false biases around louder being more confident or more charismatic ✅️ Get curious about what makes introverts tick and help create the conditions for them to bring out their inner brilliance. https://lnkd.in/eWynNP3c #diversity #inclusion #personalitytypes #valuingdifference #introversion

I feel very blessed to have found a career that allows me to do work that I love and find rewarding. Receiving client feedback like this is the cherry on top of my career cake! 🍒🎂 If you'd like support in developing your team to be more aligned & cohesive, I'd love to help. Just drop me a line at becs@incacoaching.com #jobsatisfaction #fulfilment #leadershipdevelopment #teamdevelopment