When you find yourself in rescue mode, part of what you're trying to do is just slow down the rush to jump in. The question that i would encourage people to ask is actually called the lazy question and it will sound a bit counterintuitive to folks. It's if i can get myself out of the put it on my desk, or let me take care of it. Breathe from the belly. Two or three times that shift and getting out of the rescuer triangle stands a great way of getting out of drama. Now, what about persecutor mod does that look like? And I guess i'd add one more tactic that's useful across all three of the rolles that we
Michael Bungay Stanier: The Coaching Habit
Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of eight books, including The Coaching Habit, which has sold more than a million copies and is the best-selling book on coaching this century. In 2011 he created and edited End Malaria, a book written in partnership with Seth Godin that raised more than $400k for Malaria No More.
Michael is the founder Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that’s trained thousands of people around the world to be more coach-like. He has been featured in many publications including Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. His TEDx Talk on Taming Your Advice Monster has been viewed more than a million times.
Key Points
When things get difficult, there are three roles people may fall into: the victim, the persecutor, and/or the rescuer.
To step out of a victim role, figure out what’s really going on, take a deep breath, and think, “And what else?”
To avoid the persecutor role, assume positive intent and that people are trying their best.
To stop rescuing as much, ask the victim, “How can I help?” or “What do you want from me?”
Ask yourself what you want in the situation, and make sure you’ve communicated it to others. Then ask the others what they want.
Resources Mentioned
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier
Related Episodes
How to Start Coaching Someone (episode 2)
How to Improve Your Coaching Skills, with Tom Henschel (episode 190)
These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237)
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