A Coaching Power Tool By Fran Reddan, Executive & Leadership Coach, AUSTRALIA
The ‘Stagnation vs. Cultivation’ Power Tool
As someone who recently embraced the game of golf, I was initially filled with enthusiasm and a clear vision for my ‘retirement’ years – picture serene mornings on golf courses in Australia and around the world, a gentle breeze, and a skill set that would only get better with time. But after several months of dedicated sports coaching and practice, my progress, or lack thereof, started to weigh on me. Despite my earnest efforts, and bravery in entering competitions, my game scores refused to climb, and my handicap, frustratingly, was blowing out – getting worse, not better. This was disheartening, especially since golf was more than just a new hobby for me; it was a part of my long-term vision for an enjoyable retirement. I felt like my project was stagnating and that golf and I were not meant to be. It was also giving rise to a range of emotions that had me doubting myself and angry that I might not be able to achieve my dream. In a moment of evident stress and frustration, I wondered whether I should give up.
However, everything changed when I happened to mention this to my coach. Instead of trying to talk me out of my perspective, he exclaimed that I wasn’t in stagnation, but that my feelings were a ‘progress marker’ in my journey to success. He introduced me to a concept that was a revelation – the Valley of Disappointment.
This idea, from the work of James Clear (Atomic Habits, 2018), illustrates that progress is often non-linear and that growth and improvement can initially be invisible, was a true lightbulb moment for me. I hadn’t considered how my perspective of stagnation could be reframed as one of the cultivation of necessary foundational skills in my chosen pursuit. These take time and effort, but the rewards come quickly if you can get through ‘the valley’. This new perspective gave me a new frame of reference for my current situation, a new language about how to articulate my current standard to others and protect my self-esteem. Through shifting to a ‘cultivation’ perspective, I was motivated to persist, formulate new ‘success indicators’, respect myself and the small gains I was making, and enjoy the process more.
The parallels with my coaching work for executives and leaders became clear. I work with leaders who are new to their roles. Often, despite their efforts, they cannot see what development they or their organizations are making. They become despondent, angry, fall into ‘paralysis by analysis’, or suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. The powerful shift from focusing solely on final outcome to recognizing, valuing, and leveraging the elements of the process, led me to develop the ‘Stagnation vs Cultivation’ power tool.
Power Tool: Stagnation vs. Cultivation
The ‘Stagnation vs. Cultivation’ power tool helps executives and leaders understand how a stagnation mindset affects their self-esteem, productivity, and decision-making. It encourages them to shift from feeling hopeless and stuck to focusing on growth, drawing on concepts from James Clear’s ‘Valley of Disappointment’ (Clear, 2018), Seth Godin’s ‘Dip’(Godin, 2007), and Carol Dweck’s research on fixed and growth mindsets, and effort. (Dweck, 2006)
Stagnation
‘Stagnation’ refers to a state or condition marked by a lack of flow, movement, or development. Thinking from a stagnation perspective can have significant consequences. It often leads to a cycle of unproductiveness and a lack of progress towards goals. This mindset can cause individuals to overlook their potential for growth, leading to missed opportunities for personal and professional development. In a stagnation state, people are more likely to give up in the face of challenges, viewing difficulties as insurmountable barriers rather than opportunities for learning and improvement. This perspective can also lead to decreased motivation and morale, as individuals feel trapped in their current circumstances, hindering innovation and creativity. When we consistently engage in activities without achieving the outcomes we want, it can also lead to a feeling of not having control. This can seriously impact one’s self-esteem as the absence of success becomes linked to one’s own limitations. (Moving On The Effect of Stagnation on Your Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2023)Ultimately, a stagnation mindset can significantly limit one’s ability to achieve success and fulfillment in work and in life, and may even result in depression.
In a coaching context, the ‘stagnation’ frame of reference can be revealed through feelings of frustration and disillusionment. When new habits or skills do not yield immediate results, individuals are tempted to abandon their efforts, mistaking the lack of visible progress for failure. When coming from the ‘stagnation’ frame, clients may talk about being stuck, unproductive, or directionless and use phrases like “I’m going nowhere,” “I feel trapped” or “I’m treading water”, “I’m stuck in a rut”, or “I can’t do this”.
On an organizational level, the perspective of stagnation may emerge in challenging periods of change and transformation. Leaders often face the daunting task of steering their teams through changes that do not yield immediate benefits. This phase can be demotivating for teams, leading to a stagnation in morale and productivity. This can feel more acute in fields or projects where innovation and creativity are required, as breakthroughs and successes are often preceded by long periods of trial and error, which can be discouraging.
The essence of the ‘Stagnation vs Cultivation’ power tool lies in helping clients reframe their perspective of stagnation from a negative, static viewpoint to one of cultivation and refining positive, underlying growth.
Cultivation
The concept of ‘cultivation’ relates to the fostering of growth, improvement by labor, care, or study, and further refinement or encouragement. It provides an organic metaphor that helps in recognizing the germination of ideas, skills, and opportunities, even when they are not immediately apparent. It’s about understanding that periods of apparent inactivity can be times of essential preparation and development. The other benefit of this perspective is that it reminds clients that sometimes some things just can’t be rushed and that there is a ‘season’ that has a purpose, like the Winter that precedes Spring. In this way, they are more likely to surrender to the process and be ‘willing to experience the prerequisite discomfort that accompanies change’(Frankel, 2007, p.120
Especially during habit formation or skill acquisition, individuals can frequently encounter a phase where they seem to be in stagnation. This has been described as ‘the plateau of latent potential’. (Clear, 2018) This plateau is not indicative of failure but is an accumulation of unseen growth, similar to the latent heat in water before it boils. It represents a period where efforts are silently laying the groundwork for a breakthrough, even though these improvements are not immediately apparent (Clear, p. 23). These latent aspects can be cultivated, through the development of habits and systems, to provide the strong foundations for the desired behaviors to be realized.
Similarly, Seth Godin’s concept of ‘The Dip’ (Godin, p. 17) describes a period of tough, grinding work that precedes mastery, where many people tend to give up. Often mistaken for unproductive stagnation, this phase is actually a critical period of development and resilience testing. Stagnation here is not a dead-end but a challenge to ‘lean in’ to the dip (Godin, p.19). It provides opportunities to tackle things in novel, creative, or unexpected ways, leading towards excellence, or a strategic decision to quit, rather than giving up before a possible breakthrough.
When seen through Carol Dweck’s research on mindsets, those individuals with a fixed mindset may view themselves as stagnating due to periods of difficulty or plateau, which they interpret as confirmation of their limitations. Conversely, those with a growth mindset approach life through the frame of ‘cultivation’, seeing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for development and learning, transforming the nature of stagnation from a barrier to a phase filled with potential growth. They find renewed ways to put in effort because just as seeds need to crack through a hard shell and push through soil to become a plant we can see, that ‘even geniuses have to work hard for their achievements’.(Dweck, p.41)
Shifting from Stagnation to Cultivation
Throughout the coaching process, an inquiry that encourages clients to reflect on their experiences, even those that seem stagnant can help to encourage a new perspective of valuable cultivation of skills and attributes. Helping clients identify their strengths and how these are being subtly enhanced during periods that seem stagnant can reinforce the idea that they are always developing, even in apparent stillness. Setting smaller, more introspective goals that acknowledge and utilize the period of outward stagnation, and celebrating small wins reinforce the value of the cultivation phase by encouraging clients to recognize and value small achievements and insights gained during this period.
Exploring Stagnation
- What concerns are most important to you at this moment?
- What does being ‘stuck’ mean for you in this situation?
- What might be different from your expectations?
- What makes this situation uncomfortable for you?
- What does success look like for you?
- How does this view of success influence your feelings of achievement?
- How does this situation align with your values and long-term goals?
- What barriers do you feel are getting in the way of you moving forward?
- What leads you to believe that this perspective is true?
- What important needs are not being met for you right now?
- What is it that you really do need?
- What are you learning about yourself through this experience?
- I’ve heard you say several times that you are stagnating. What would change if you looked at this from the perspective of taking time to cultivate important skills?
Moving Towards Cultivation
- In what ways could viewing this challenge from a different perspective change your approach?
- What skills or insights could this routine be helping you to develop?
- What have these dead ends taught you about what doesn’t work?
- What small steps have you taken that might be building towards your goals in a way you haven’t noticed?
- What are other measures of success you could use?
- What excites you about seeing this situation in a different way?
- What small steps can you take right now to provide movement toward your desired outcome?
- What skills and attributes are you cultivating along the way?
- What have these experiences taught you?
- How have you grown in ways you didn’t expect?
- How can this period be a foundation for future action?
- What other support or resources do you need to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be?
- What will you need to do differently now?
- What values are you honoring?
- What gives you confidence that you can move forward?
- How can we celebrate these small victories?
Visualization techniques can also be used, for example, to guide clients to visualize their situation as a garden. Ask them to imagine what is happening beneath the soil, where seeds of ideas and skills are germinating, even if they can’t see them yet.
The ‘Stagnation vs. Cultivation’ Power Tool Helps Clients Shift From a Perspective
The ‘Stagnation vs Cultivation’ power tool helps clients shift from a perspective of frustration and inactivity to one of growth and preparation. By recognizing the cultivation happening in periods of stagnation, clients can reframe their experiences, seeing them as valuable phases of development that are essential for future success. Just like my experiences in learning golf, this shift in perspective is not just about feeling better at the moment but about confidently laying the groundwork for future achievements and fulfillment.
References
“Cultivate“. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
“Stagnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York: Avery.
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House.
Godin, S. (2007). The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). New York: Portfolio.
Lois P. Frankel, P. (2007). See Jane Lead. New York: Warner Business Books.
Moving On: The Effect of Stagnation on Your Mental Health and Wellbeing. (2023, 11 29). Retrieved from Resources to Recover: A Mental Health Website for Families and Individuals