Coaching as an Approach to Create a New Version of Your World (Part. 1)
Hiroaki Nishida, who also goes by the nickname Hiro, is a "Transition Navigator" who coaches and facilitates his clients during times of transition.
In this interview, Hiro talked about how he, as a life coach, works with clients at their time of transition. He also shared how himself has changed the way he communicates with people in his life.
Hana (Profile Story Author Hana):
Firstly, could you please briefly introduce yourself, Hiro?
Hiro (Hiroaki Nishida):
I’m a "Transition Navigator." I work with people, teams and companies at times of transition, when they are going through major life changes or fundamental shifts in direction. More precisely, people often come to me at an earlier stage of the process. They are feeling that something is wrong with the present situation, or when they’re not feeling that they are on the right track. I work with them to identify what they really want to be or do. Then we work together to find a way to move forward.
Starting from Looking at the Roots of Uncomfortable Feelings Together
Hana
I think that a mainstream approach of coaching is to bring out what is inside your clients, or to listen to their thoughts and desires. But the words "create” or "navigate into" a transition in Japanese gave me the impression that there is something more that you have to offer. What actually happens in your coaching for your clients at a transitional stage?
Hiro:
The actual work is coaching and facilitation, so the main focus is still on listening to the clients and bringing out their thoughts and feelings. However, just as each of us coaches has his or her unique personality, I have my own preferences and tendencies. I'm not constrained by customary ways of thinking, and am rather adept at thinking freely and extensively. So we tend to rethink many aspects from scratch, zero-based, together. For example, "Is there a different, more 'like me' way of going forward now?” or “Is it really true that I think I have to do this?” and so on.
Perhaps those who are going through a transition sense that and come to me. Or people who talk to me often get initiated to a transition spontaneously. This made me use the name "Transition Navigator." I want to say that "I will be working with you to navigate a transition."
Hana:
One can sense the signs of change coming, but how much or how big that change should be is something beyond one’s own control. What kind of approach would you take to that aspect?
Hiro:
With that regard, I would go back to the basics, and probably just listen. Another approach is to help them sort through their confusion and explain what they are going through. There are things that typically happen to people or organizations that are undergoing a transition.
Basically, we usually work together to look at the roots of uncomfortable feeling. People who are in a transition often have a kind of identifiable feeling, and it is usually unclear what causes that sense. It’s like "I’m not hating my current job, but I can't work as passionately as I used to,” or "I've been experiencing some strange irritations lately.” Or having reached their 30s or 40s, their bodies and minds have grown enough to get bored with the way they have been working, and etc.
and other information is available on his website
In my definition and understanding of a transition time, you can't really see what is coming next at a later stage. For example, a sales manager who is working very hard has to work even harder due to a change in position or department, or has to learn new skills. It is just like a high school baseball player later joining the big leagues. What he is doing is still baseball.
But sometimes in life, people who used to play baseball have to play soccer, or they get tired of ball games and change to martial arts. In such cases, they don't know what's ahead of them because they have never done it before. So people who are at zero-based transition are not so much looking ahead or really wanting to change, but rather feeling uncomfortable with where they are now. They just feel "This is not right," and they are not sure what exactly that feeling is.
Hana:
What would happen when you work together to look at the roots of that feeling?
Hiro:
While exploring what is making you uncomfortable, you could find something that is nudging you, something intriguing or slightly interesting. Then you will begin to vaguely see what you are changing, and what is coming to an end.
They might say, "I've always tried to meet the people's expectations, but I now want to do something that I really love to do,” or "I have been pursuing challenges, but after this I want to build a foundation that will remain consistent.”
You Will Become Something Different
Hana:
I know you can't talk about cases because of confidentiality, but what kind of transitions have you observed or worked through together?
Hiro:
One of those who have given me permission to share their stories is an owner of a beauty company. This person had a number of branches, but once he had established his management style, he created a sort of collective work and felt that he had enjoyed it enough. He then delegated the branches to others one by one and he himself started to enjoy more and more free time.
"Let's take on new challenges and change the course of our lives!"
I also had a client who came to me saying that she had suffered a mental breakdown because of the changes in the company's system. What was actually happening though, was that she used to enjoy performing well within the framework of that company where her bosses were taking responsibility. However when she reached her 40s, when she had to take a leadership position within the company, there existed a huge gap between the way she was living and working, and what the company wanted. In the end, she left the company, became independent and started her own business. I was surprised as I didn't expect this at the beginning.
So if you ask me what would happen after the transition, I would say that you will become something different from what you are now.
Hana:
I imagine that if you become something different from what you are now, you can't really remember what you were like when you started. What do people who are now in post-transition say when they look back on the time of transition with you?
Hiro:
Many of them say they didn't expect it to turn out like this. I also had a client who thought it would be better to become independent or change careers, but ended up finding himself having a lot of fun at that company, which was also unexpected.
(To be continued.)
Hiroaki Nishida
Hiroaki Nishida is a life coach for people and teams in times of transition. He helps them step into and go through times of fundamental changes. Besides his coaching practices for business owners and freelancers, he gives trainings for aspiring coaches in the space of coaching and personal development, and teaches career development at universities. He also offers facilitation and team coaching with expertise in organizational development and team building. His contributions include companies, international programs, local revitalization projects, and communities of traditional arts and crafts.
Hiroaki is the CEO of Tomoni Inc., a certified coach by Another History, and a Certified Public Psychologist by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan. He also holds a M.A. in International Peace Studies from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. He has traveled to more than 40 different counties and provided workshops in nine of these countries.
▼ Read the following part of the interview at:
▼ Original article in Japanese is available at:
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