In my younger years, I was an airplane pilot. During the training, we were taught that in a stressful situation the pilot tends to concentrate on certain aspects and disregard the whole situation. Depriving himself of the overall vision, his decision-making risks being fueled by his emotions instead of his reason. Not understanding what is happening and, in an emergency, he risks not doing the right things.
This phenomenon is called “cognitive tunneling”. The same manifestation is found in any human in a situation of tension. We, therefore, find it difficult to remain objective and above all to see the situation differently.
Managers are lucky not to have to make decisions in a hurry (although sometimes…), which does not exempt them from experiencing the same phenomenon of “cognitive tunnel”. Indeed, this can happen in situations where managers have constraints, experience a feeling of loss of control, or do not fully master the situation. They sometimes express their discomfort by having too much or not enough information.
They often miss the right information.
As a coach, our work leads us to be a bit of a “co-pilot” for the manager, that is to say, to make him aware of other aspects of the situation. Coaching is precise “an awareness” and aims to represent a different vision of the situation.
There are four steps the manager could take to correct a “cognitive tunnel” situation; first stop the damage, identify what is happening, take some time to think and finally make a plan. (See the details in the article that addresses this subject in the business journal)
The career transition specialis can use several questions to help the coach get out of this cognitive tunnel. We could content ourselves with these three questions; what the coach should stop doing, what should they continue and what should they start doing. These questions have the potential to raise awareness specific to coaching (the ones I propose to you are simply indicative, knowing that you have others).
What should we stop doing?
If the coach is in difficulty, it is because he is doing actions that are not appropriate or that are counterproductive. Sometimes our emotions influence our behaviors and lead us to inappropriate behaviors, hence the need to stop these behaviors that harm us and make us drift from our interests. The kind of questions could be, “What behavior do you think is not helpful?” If you were on the outside of the situation, what would you ask this person to stop?
What should we continue to do?
Not everything the coach does is bad. He must therefore identify what he must pursue: sometimes it is his intention, his desire, or positive behaviors that he masters well, and which would allow him to move in the right direction. The question might be, “What behavior are you implementing that feels acknowledged or beneficial?”
What should we start doing?
To this question, the coach needs to think outside of what he does or knows. The contribution of the transition coaches is essential. The coach must have understood what is happening at the moment and thus draw on their experiences or knowledge to explore outside their comfort zone.
“Who could help me and what am I not doing? What would “such a remarkably skillful person” do in my place? If I were out of this situation, what advice would I give to the person in my place? If I am brainstorming without judgment, what is the list of possibilities for action that are not being done that I could do? What is the opposite of what I want to stop? »
There are surely other questions that come to mind and that would allow the executive coach to develop new solutions for him.
The cognitive tunnel is probably a frequent difficulty in management, often amplified by our emotions. As Dulude points out, “There are times to deal with emotions, and times when you can’t let them guide actions and choices”. Especially because they can take us away from our goal or our intentions. Besides, how would you react if the captain of your flight or the surgeon told you before a flight or a major intervention: “Don’t worry, if there is a major problem, I am emotional, I trust my emotions. Not very reassuring! What we want in these situations is for him to use his training, experience, and intuition.
Personally, I consider that emotions are ” situation awakeners “, they respond to what is happening (what is it?). Intuitions for their part are similar to “awakening solutions ” and enlighten us on what we are doing (doing what?). Emotions are the “what”, dashboard indicators and intuitions are the “how”, they use what I know to find a solution. I assume the role of the coach is to move the transitions coach from the what to the how.
The coach is probably the best person to help this manager and get him out of his reductive (tunnel) vision, thus allowing him to raise awareness, specific to coaching.