procrastination. Chronic overpreparers are perceived by others
as “perfectionists,” in that they’ll
work a project over and over,
striving for perfection and insisting
that there’s always more to be
done. Consequences of overpreparation include inefficiency,
misappropriation of effort,
decreased productivity and, often,
conflict in workplace relationships.
IP Success Strategies
When a client displays signs of IP,
the first and most important step
you can take as her coach is to put
the phenomenon in context and
let her know that she’s not alone.
IP is common among existing and
emerging business leaders, but
clients often feel isolated in their
experience of it, believing that
they’re experiencing something
unique and nameless. Assuring
clients that they are far from alone
is essential. Coaches can be most
helpful to clients by recognizing and
naming the phenomenon for what
it is, sharing how common it is, and
creating awareness around ways to
reduce or eliminate symptoms.
Through the interviews I conducted
during my research, I identified six
strategies your clients can use as
they strive to move away from IP and
toward a new view of themselves.
1. Recall prior experiences of
recognized success.
Many IP clients are able to identify
current or past experiences with
what they perceive as “real” success.
For example, one of the research
respondents I interviewed was
plagued with insecurity about
his career, but very confident in
his abilities as a father. When his
thoughts about his career would
spiral downward, he’d settle his
emotions by repeating “I am a good
father,” over and over. He said he
was amazed at the positive results of
this affirmative self-talk.
2. Get moving!
Staying in one place provides fertile
ground for IP thought patterns
to take hold. Whether your client
heads outside for a run, joins an
exercise class at her gym or simply
takes up a hobby, such as gardening
or woodworking, she’ll benefit not
only from the activity itself, but from
the spatial change. Clients have
reported that simply moving from
one location to another (i.e., from
room to room or across the office)
can change their perspective and
thinking on an issue.
3. Call upon spiritual beliefs.
Clients who engage in some form of
spiritual practice can draw on their
beliefs as they strive to defeat selfdoubt and silence negative self-talk.
For example, one client reported
that prayer provided her the solace
she needed to begin changing her
thinking about how to interpret the
consistently positive feedback she
was getting at work.
4. Use Your Body to Change
Your Thinking.
During a 2012 TED Talk titled “Your
Body Language Shapes Who
You Are,” social psychologist Amy
Cuddy suggested that we can create
insecurity or confidence by the way
we hold ourselves, sit, stand and
raise our hands. Many IP clients
find that exploring their nonverbal
communication reveals personal and
professional insecurities. Awareness
and practice are essential to
changing physical behaviors; this,
in turn, can change thinking. Invite
clients to practice different postures,
gestures and expressions. Start with
the smile: Ask your client to force
a smile and hold it for ten seconds.
When she relaxes the smile, ask
what she thinks and feels. Thinking
drives emotions and emotions drive
behavior. Simple changes in our
bodies create a change in thinking.
5. Honor past compliments.
Encourage clients to keep a “kudos”
file; i.e., an archive of emails and
other documentation of words of
praise for their accomplishments.
They can refer to this tangible record
during times of self-doubt and
replace their negative self-talk with
the positive statements contained
therein. Over time, this can decrease
the frequency and intensity of IP
thought patterns.
6. Breathe deeply.
As clients tune into their IP behaviors,
many recognize accompanying
changes in breathing patterns. One
client I interviewed realized that
he’d hold his breath during tense
conversations, while another became
aware of taking quick, short breaths
during times of stress. Encourage
clients to be mindful of these
physiological stress symbols and
make a concerted effort to shift to
deep breaths from the diaphragm.
IP is more prevalent in our clients
than many of us realize. To some
extent, it’s even a natural part of
career progression, especially for
clients who are promoted into senior
roles more quickly than expected.
If a client’s comments during
coaching sessions suggest that
she is questioning her worthiness,
in or out of the workplace, use
powerful questions (e.g., “Do you
believe others think you’re more
talented than you do?”; “To what
do you attribute your success?”) to
identify whether IP might be at work.
Putting a name to the phenomenon
and supporting our clients as they
identify strategies for moving beyond
it are crucial steps in helping our
clients see themselves as we see
them: resourceful, whole individuals
who are in the driver’s seat of their
professional and personal lives.
Coaching World 31