On a recent plane ride across country, I began to read the book Refire! Make the Rest of Your Life The Best of Your Life by Ken Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz. What stood out for me halfway through the book is refiring is about embracing a different perspective about life or a situation. At times, we all get into ruts; doing the same thing over and over again. No excitement! Auto pilot! Boringggggg….!!!!
The coaching question that came to mind after reading half the book is what is the spark (small or big) to Refire…to remotivate? It is about doing something differently, which may mean stepping outside of a comfort zone.
Recently, I coached a client taking on a new program that will expand workforce development opportunities across a large matrix organization. His primary challenge was how to engage and get buy-in for the new program. He had difficulty developing an effective action plan that key stakeholders supported. He was following the normal protocol of presenting his ideas in formal group meetings, which were ineffective. The client was frustrated and realized he needed another approach. Our coaching sessions lead him to Refire! He decided to engage one-on-one with key stakeholders through verbal and written communication. He knew he had to step outside of his comfort zone to get stakeholder buy-in. As a result of his one-on-one interactions, he gained a different perspective and was able to meet the needs of each stakeholder. The client embraced the challenge and saw the personal benefit of building relationships with senior leaders. By stepping out of his comfort zone, the client built new relationships and was successful in implementing a workforce development program.
Coaches enable clients to Refire!! It is all about embracing a different perspective and taking the courage to step outside of your comfort zone.
Are you ready to Refire?
