Environment

Your clients want change and results but the change and results they are looking for do not take place in neutral environments. Our minds and brain are locked into an embrace with the world around them. As events take place and sensory inputs are registered so responses in us take place. These responses are determined by a complex history of past responses (captured in memories) that provided either reward or discomfort ( pain even ) both emotional and physical.

A person's environment provides a variety of sources of these inputs. Numerous studies have shown that mood and stress is affected by the kind of built environment you are in. Drab, boring airless rooms with bad artificial lighting arouse lethargy, boredom and even depression. Chaotic, messy homes can create feelings of being out of control which is a stressor. Where we live and work matters to how we perform tasks that require concentration and / or creativity. A brain that is constantly having to compensate for outside interference such as noise and interruption will be stressed and that lowers functioning.

People are also part of our environment. Having to listen to moaners and negative people has an effect on our minds. If our brains are constantly being bombarded with doom laden scenarios ( as in most newspapers every day ) which we are individualòly powerless to do anything about then we are stimulating our fight or flight response. Fear and anxiety based people who are constantly spending their day reflecting back all the reasons why something can’t be done or how difficult things are will only serve to impact on everyone around them, usually negatively. 

So when people want to change something or some aspect of their lives some very important questions need to be asked.

It is important then that you explore your clients world with them so that they might improve their understanding of how their environment is configured and whether it is going to be an aid in the changes they want to make.

Here are four approaches that are, i think,  important.

First, how is their environment configured to support, even allow, the change to take place?

Most people have people around them and those people may or may not be delighted at your clients proposed change. Usually you find people have those who are pleased if the change takes place and those who might be unhappy, irritated and even oppose it. For instance a person wants to achieve better work life balance.More time at home with the family and less at work. Their partner supports the idea but their manager does not as they fear it will mean a lowering of performance. It could of course be the other way around with the partner not wanting them at home more and the manager at work wanting them to take more time away from the office which they are in too much! Whatever the case assessing who in the person's relationship environment is supporting and who is opposing is important.

Second, can their environment be expected to remain supportive to change and if so how can we know?

Novelty wears off. Faced with all sorts of people and physical environments that have all developed alongside the thing you want to change a person can be forgiven for finding it tough to maintain change once the initial success euphoria has worn off. This is why leaving the environment the same while expecting change to stay in place is optimistic to say the least.

But once you have changed what you can in your environment we need to be aware that we do not have control over all aspects of it, far from it which is why we need to focus on the third point.

Third, what can they change in their environment and what can’t they?

Accept the things you cannot change. Like the weather and other people, the times the trains run and the price of petrol! 

Change the things you can, The colour of your bedroom walls, what time you set your alarm clock, how much news you consume and what you read in the morning to start your day. What is in the fridge ( if you live alone ). What is in the fridge on one selected shelf ( if you don’t live alone ). Who you go to the pub / bar / gym / yoga with.

It can be immensely important to work with your clients for them to get clear what is within their control and what is not. Getting their support worked out beforehand so that when they tackle their change objective they have resources, change capital, in place.

Fourth

Environments and our relationship to them are dynamic. They do not stay the same. The best approach is to tinker with them to, through trial and error what seems to be working and not. You can never know entirely beforehand what the impact of a change will be. You might think painting your house a new shade of pink is an ideal change but it might drive you potty. Much of what you work to change around you may surprise you in how it affects you. In the same way clients need to have a flexible approach to changing their environment that is responsive to feedback.

Your job as coach then is to encourage your clients to get curious about all aspects of their environment, try to identify aspects within it that will provide positive support for change and that they can enrol to help them change. 

Good luck!