David’s Commix
with someone else, probably to the thanks of both Tina and I.
I have never forgotten that experience, although I can never quite recall where the tropical house was. Since then I have held two spiders and several snakes, plus an assortment of other weird creatures. Is there a point to all this you must wonder? Not so much a point, rather a personal example of a barrier that I overcame at that point in my life. Spiders still make me jump, it’s just that I know that I can handle them (non-lethal I hasten to point out), especially if there is a jar or container handy.
Barriers come in all sorts of forms; physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioural to name but a few. We are constantly challenged to know what is real. Our world is made up of perceptions, personal filters, bias and the infamous self-limiting belief system. How significant these are to an individual or their progress towards a goal will depend on a number of factors that would need to be explored with the client.
If I go back to my example, I was aided in my progress by an experienced professional; someone who knew what to say and do to enable me to do something that I never dreamed I would ever do. This is incredibly synergistic to the role of a coach and/or mentor. It’s the age old question; ‘what could get in your way?’
I’m not a believer in the ‘you can achieve anything’ principal. Rather I believe in working with individuals, teams and organisations to achieve what can be achieved. Some barriers cannot be crossed. If the keeper had been holding a scorpion or a wasp, for example, she would still be there with it. In these circumstances it is about working towards a solution that negates the need to cross that barrier; to find another direction. Sometimes the effort to overcome a barrier just does not have the return on effort/expenditure that is desired.
For some people, barriers, real or imagined (although imagination creates its own reality) exist in their pursuit of their
their goals. These may seem slight to some yet massive to others. Sometimes it may be their past experiences or their personality that gets in the way. At other times it may be these factors that enable them to achieve more that they thought possible. As coaches and mentors we need to work with clients at the deeper (deepest) level, to understand the client’s perception of the situation and to help them find the best way forwards. It’s never about how we perceive the barrier. It’s always about working with the client on how they see the barrier and working with them in the way that best fulfils their needs.
I am sure that this edition of Invenio will be full of examples and ideas for dealing with barriers. I invite you to read them and
reflect upon your own personal examples as well as those of your clients. In so doing, ask yourself how you can really make a difference and add value to those you may work with.
And if anyone wishes to hold a large hairy spider….
Until next time.
David
David Monro-Jones AFC AMM
IIC&M Managing Director
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