Sometimes who we are doesn’t embrace who we want to be – and it acts accordingly
Occasionally coachees, who are motivated to participate in their coaching programme, seem unable to progress despite logically understanding the steps they need to take. Although these desired behaviours are natural to other people, it appears that at some level these coachees find it questionable as to whether they can also act in these ways. Thus, their nonconscious response is to curb their attempts at trying to change their current behaviour.
This phenomenon has been called ‘reflexive hindering’.
These coachees are often fused with their responses, which can feel unquestionably obvious and pertinent. This makes it difficult for them to be objective and think about how to advance their goals. Research has shown that understanding some fundamentals of the brain, how it tends to operate and why improves the efficacy of coaching these coachees.
Their brain may be their biggest challenge
Reflexive hindering can manifest in various ways during a coaching programme. It evolves as a growing cautiousness towards discussing possibilities and developing options for action, which seem increasingly implausible. Thus, it progressively hampers the coachee’s ability to take meaningful actions and curbs progress towards their desired coaching objectives.
