Coaching With the Brain in Mind

We have been led to believe by the behaviorist view that people will change if they are given the right incentives.

Cognitive dissonance suggests that admitting we were wrong triggers anxiety from the inconsistency between past behavior and current beliefs about it. In fact, for some individuals whose core belief is “I must always be right,” it may be more important to be “right” than to be happy

Once a client has identified stress as a possible source of interference with goals, the coach provides support, accountability, and encouragement for the client to take actions that reduce stress to manageable levels.

mind: “a process that regulates the flow of energy and information”

The more often we perform that action, the stronger the connection and likelihood that it will present itself as a readiness potential.

Research in sports psychology and other fields has verified that imagining an experience in detail can dramatically affect performance.

When Fred became aware of his tendency to adjust his beliefs to fit his desire to be right, he redefined what it meant to “be right” according to the perspective of cognitive dissonance. He decided it was wrong to allow himself to be controlled by such a pattern, however “right” it might feel in the moment.

similarities between coaching athletes and coaching executives.

“Use it or lose it.”

Quantity of Focus.