Laurie Beth Jones Blog

Dear Friends,

Balboa Park has a host of trees that continually amaze me. The foundation system on this particular tree has roots that look like a lion’s paw, gripping the ground. Its roots are as impressive as the branches above it.

Leaders dwelll so much in the future that it is well for us to remember that we, too, need to grip the ground firmly in order to grow. For every branch that touches the sky there must be a root that supports the whole offering.

Is your team grounded enough to support a glorious future?
If not, perhaps some earth work is in order.

Blessings as you Lead this week
Laurie Beth

The Elements in Stage 3 of Change (Part 4 of 6)

Preparation -  Ready for Change

Yay-y-y-y – Clients in this stage have overcome most of their ambivalence.  With your help they have identified a strong motivator. They understand what the likely barriers are, and they’ve formulated possible solutions. Probe carefully here and don’t take statements at face value because if these thinking tasks have not been thorough the client is still in the Contemplation stage.  This is the time for helping your client design plans of action, and the Eight Steps to Success taught in The Path is a great tool to use in this stage. This is the time to Discover, Design, and Do.

This may be the most challenging phase for Earth clients because of their desire for assured outcomes, but they are very capable of transforming thought into action. Use your coaching skills to help them move beyond the known to explore alternative ideas and solutions. The strength they will bring to this process is the ability to communicate candidly and objectively. Point out and celebrate the value of experimentation and acknowledge the successes immediately.

This is an interesting time working with Water clients because of their tendency to procrastinate unless they are being reactive to some event. They  have a hard time moving from thinking to action. Pull your coaching skills into helping them imagine possibilities that they’ve never experienced. Use your edge to move them off the mark and provide direction, but don’t overwhelm them with the broad scope of things. Be patient with their baby steps in the beginning and remember these clients are highly adaptable. Once parameters have been established and agreed on, you’ll find they often are most comfortable finding their own way but like to check in with you for clarification or affirmation.

Wind clients become highly in this phase because action is involved. Encourage them to design a variety of actions that are fun, but in alignment with the client’s agenda; don’t let them sidetrack themselves. Help them check their impulsivity and spontaneity long enough to establish clear short-term objectives with clearly defined measures of success. This will help them manage their tendency to get bored with long-term goals and accept responsibility and consequences. Provide the inquiry and reflection that facilitates their ability to assess their activities and outcomes objectively without their usual tendency to embellish.

During this phase Fire clients may feel like they’re getting an oxygen feed because they are so oriented toward goals, actions, and accomplishments. At this point they are likely to act prematurely and take precipitous action before thoroughly thinking through an action plan. Use your coaching skills to help them become more aware of and respectful of the thoughts and feelings of others as they form their strategies. The coaching challenge in this phase may is to help your client delay making decisions in favor of more complete data gathering, paying attention to the details they prefer to ignore or diminish.

Remember, although we may want to teach our clients the tricks we know about being successful, it’s our job to assist them to discover, design, and commit to their own strategies for forward movement . . . because that’s what sticks!

Jacque Salamy: The Path Coaching Training Program, Program Instructor

The Storm

A few moments ago I went outside and swept off all the water that had gathered on my patio.   Two days ago a record breaking storm swept through the usually calm and balmy San Diego, dropping two inches of rain and sending the temperature plummeting nearly 30 degrees.  Winds up to 45 mph caused the trees all around my home to bend and bang against the house, causing my dog Roo  to remain on constant alert, sure that we were being bombarded by forces which might attack at any moment.

I spent the day in front of my fireplace, watching water pour down in sheets.  Sometimes if would fall straight down, and at other times, whipped by the wind, it flew at horizontal angles.   Trees fell on cars at Balboa Park.  The highway patrol reported 405 accidents in a 24 hour period.    I called two of my traveling Path team members  who were near Los Angeles for the day and urged them to stay where they were,  and not venture out on unsafe highways even if only for a two hour drive.   Reluctantly, they agreed.

I went outside with my raincoat and umbrella to see if the drain system my contractor had installed was working.  Yes, indeed it was, in the former trouble spots.  But water was pooling now near the rear fence line, soon to overlap the threshold into my studio.  Would the earth be able to absorb it in time?

I respected anew the power of the elements to act in sudden, surprising, and sometimes dangerous ways.

The storm is passed.  The earth did indeed absorb the pooled up water.  Winds have calmed down to their normal range.  The sun is shining again.

I am still huddled by my fire, writing this.  The fire, which usually represents the most danger, became a calming, warming and comforting force for me when all the other elements raged.

Our God is an awesome God.

Our rainfall is back to normal now after what had been a very long drought.   How swiftly God can change a situation, harnessing the elements.

Our God IS an awesome God.

Are you in need of an act of God?  Which element are you most needing right now in your life, and why?

Laurie Beth