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As part of a fantastic leadership coaching programme I am attending, I have been introduced to the book ‘Own your armor’ by Michelle Brody PhD. Not only is it visually appealing with great illustrations to land the message, but it also supports my coaching presence and preparation through acknowledgement that our stories and our clients’ stories are often hidden beneath the armour we wear. So often armour has served us well to keep us safe as we build around us a defence mechanism against a threat. However, in a world full of conflict and increasingly presenting as unsafe, it is time to own and notice what is harming us or not useful in presenting the armour without explanation to others.
Depending on your coach training and levels of psychological theory offered you may already have an awareness of cognitive distortion stories which create behaviour that projects out to others in the workplace. As a coach, when we hear the language or behaviours in the coaching session’ in the moment’ we are trained to notice these patterns without judgement and encourage the client to notice them too. This is the starting point of helping them understand their own armour and often this will help them explore its historical purpose and the potential to disarm and explore the potential of new behaviours.
The book explores how distinct types of armour appear in team settings and affect workplace cultures. When exploring the exercises, I have been reminded about how vital it is that we help leaders explore the ‘Who’ elements of their coaching goals as well as support their tactical thinking. The ‘who’ are you and ‘what’ meaning do your words offer your exploration can help them prepare for different conversations in their organisation that reveal the armour and why it is there in the first place. I am also reminded that there is no expectation to go back into the story in the role of therapist to diagnose or treat past events. More, I see how important it is to acknowledge the past if we are to help people move on to a new chapter in their working lives. Exploring what may change if they drop their defensive reactions and help leaders to open their thinking to new possibilities that can occur when humans connect on a deeper level is vital work right now.
Coaching provides people with an awareness of the armour and how to own it – are you ready for that conversation?
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