Coaching physician fulfillment is about connecting to ‘inner authority’
I recently shared a reflection with our current cohort about coaching physicians using a process called Values Clarification.
“With the Values Clarification Exercises you are learning to coach one of several structures/processes whose objective is to support client self-awareness. In a few weeks you’ll learn a structure for self-awareness about communication preferences, and then in a few months you’ll learn additional structures that support self-awareness of strengths, and self-limiting obstacles.
In essence, we as coaches support client self-awareness of who they are at their core.
What does this have to do with “fulfillment” or “joy” or “resilience”?
Everything!
For many of us—especially physicians—we live a life that oscillates between “Who I should be and what I should do” (the outside authority) and “Who I really am and what I really want to do” (the inner authority).
Coaching facilitates that clarity of seeing past the outer authority and accessing our inner authority. Whether in a 30-minute open-topic session or a 45-minute “Values Clarification” session, or a 3-month coaching arc, we support our physician client to connect to their inner authority, their Core. Once connected, their action and decision-making become more clear and fluid.
When we coach the “being” of our physician client, they will figure out the “doing” and it feels more effortless.”
My favorite quote from the Samurai offers a poetic summation:
“If your soul is not projected into your hands, even ten thousand techniques will be useless.”