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A FREE online feature to print off and read. Written by Kathleenruth
 
   
   

The Coaching Corner series: How fear drives your decision making

©The Practising Midwife.Reproduced with permission. An original article written by Ruth for The Practising Midwife Journal. This article appeared in the June 2002 issue (Volume 5 Number 6)

 

Heather is afraid to make a life-changing decision

 

 

How do you make key decisions involving your practise, your career and your life? We'd like to think we take an all round view of the various factors involved before arriving at a carefully thought out, intelligent, decision. Yet some psychologists suggest it simply boils down to whether we are motivated by the pursuit of pleasure (appetitive motivation) or the avoidance of pain (aversive motivation) (Bozarth, 1994).

 

Coaching case study

Heather is a 28 year old staff midwife. On qualifying she worked for 3 years in a forward-looking unit providing midwifery led care. Her recent re-location to another town, because of her husbands promotion, has entailed her taking up a post in a maternity unit where she has never worked before. She has been there six months and is struggling to adapt to the culture in her new workplace

 

The coaching conversation

Coach: Hello Heather how are you?

Heather: I'm fine. I can't decide what to do though… should I stay in this post or should I leave?

Coach: What are some of the issues facing you, Heather?

Heather: This unit is so medical oriented. I am having a hard time adjusting. I don't get the opportunity to practice the midwife-led care that I'm used to. It's so different from where I worked before and I feel like I've really made a wrong move.

Coach: What prevents you from practising the way you would like to?

Heather: (sigh) It's the whole culture of the place. They don't leave you alone, the senior midwives and doctors come into a delivery room where you are caring for a woman and start telling you what they think you should do. It's very unsettling for the women and I find it really annoying and embarassing. I feel I have no autonomy.

Coach: Have you spoken to them and asked to be left alone unless you ask for help?

Heather: I've sort of tried but they don't listen and don't seem very approachable. With not having been there long, I don't want to rock the boat. I'm afraid they'll think I'm a trouble maker and I'll be an outcast.

Coach: Have you considered moving to a unit where the care is more woman-centred?

Heather: Yes there is a midwife-led unit I'm interested in. It involves travelling though.

Coach: Tell me what the main issues are for you in considering a move.

Heather: I've hardly been here 2 minutes. It looks like I'm a quitter. I really wanted to work in this unit because it's so near to where I live. My husband works nearby and drops me in work and depending on his shift he either picks me up or I walk. We use one car. It's so convenient, yet I feel trapped. I'd feel like a failure if I quit now... like I haven't really given it a chance.. yet if I stay much longer I might become despondent and lose my passion for midwifery.

 

I'm afraid they'll think I'm a trouble-maker and I'll be outcast

 

 

Coach: It seems to me, Heather, that you are motivated by fear, rather than pleasure. You are 'trapped' by your own fears. Your fear of what others will think. Your fear of being a failure. Your fear of being an outcast. What would you do if you had no fear?

Heather: Hmm… that's difficult. I suppose if I was fearless I'd just go and work where I was happiest and damn the consequences!

Coach: Ah! Let's look at that for a minute, Heather, what might those consequences be?

Heather: Hmm… I don't really know, except it would mean more expense on my part… but we'd manage. And I'd be a lot happier.

Coach: Is your happiness and fulfillment worth the extra expense?

Heather: Yes!

Coach: Yes. Heather you have a choice here. You can choose the easy option and be happy and fulfilled, or you can choose to stay in fear and continue to struggle. It's simply a choice, Heather: pleasure or pain?

Heather: Wow. It seems so simple when you put it like that.

Coach: That's because it is simple, Heather. We make things so complicated sometimes when really they are simple.

Heather: I'm going to make enquiries at the midwifery unit as soon as I get home. I know the manager there and I'm going to call her. She's even asked me before if I'm interested and I said it was too far!

Coach: Good for you, Heather. Will you let me know how you get on?

Heather: Sure thing, and thank you for helping me to clarify my thoughts!

 

Review points

Let's look at what happened:

  • Heather was indecisive and afraid.
  • The coach highlighted how fear was blocking her decision making.
  • Heather shifted her perspective and became clear where her passion was.
  • She made a decision to pursue her passion, forfeit the extra expense, and choose greater fulfillment in her work.
Quite often we wonder why we feel unhappy. Things are okay, but nothing special. It may be that you are in a post where you are not fully satisfied but you stay put because of fear. Heather feared change, what others think and ostracisation. Once she switched her perspective to consider doing what she really loves, her passion (and her solution) became clear. Try switching your perspective to allow for the pursuit of pleasure. If you were to pursue your passion - what really gives you pleasure, satisfaction and fulfillment - what would you be doing now?

 

Reference:

Bozarth, M.A. (1994) Pleasure Systems in the Brain. Internet document located at: http://wings.buffalo.edu/aru/ARUreport01.htm

Accessed May 10, 2002.

 

Feedback:

"I've meant for ages to get back to you to say whatever it was... it worked/works like magic! I got through the last 2 weeks placement with a much better spirit - using visualisation and affirmation. Now I am in college for 12 weeks and have already given a seminar to the class with the help of

1) noticing the first signs of tension/panic,

2)breathing and

3) affirmations,

and it was good. Thank you"

                

"I take the above publication although I am not a midwife but teach antenatal classes for the NCT. [National Childbirth Trust] Since Coaching Corner became a regular feature I have been riveted to it. Each month it is the first article that I turn to and am always hoping for more when I reach the end. It is so encouraging to see what other people can do to transform their lives and gives great hope to those of us who would dearly love to but are still summoning up the courage. From the very first article I thought that maybe this was what I needed but it took a few months to reach for the phone and call Ruth for a coaching session. We really are our own worst enemies and I need not have been worried. 

My session lasted about an hour and even in that short time learnt several things about myself that I was either unaware of or was unable to admit to myself. Ruth simply encourages you to work things out for yourself, with a few gentle prods to set you off in the right direction. She was most encouraging and has given me several things to think about and things to do. When I have finished those I may well be back for another session.

I feel both the articles and the coaching itself are extremely helpful, being removed from one's normal environment makes it feel somewhat safer to admit that things could be better, if only we knew how to change - well now we can find out."

     

"thank you so much for your assistance during our call, it highlighted so many areas of personal development, your a star!

From the session, I gained so many developmental points. Things such as:

1. how to manage a situation where you feel you need to discuss how it made you feel. Empowering yourself to be assertive but not rude or threatening to the other person, so achieving your aim. 

2.coping strategies for interpersonal relationships and how to protect and manage yourself to be constructive, but self developing. 

3.self value and worth to be right, and wrong     

4.that empowerment does not have to be critical of yourself and judgmental of yourself and others.   

5. what everyone else thinks is truely non of my business so why try to change and suit people, just be me.      

I cant tell you how much you helped me Ruth, thank you."

 

 

   
   
   

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