• Home
  • Contact
  • (802) 258-8182
  • Login

Justice Coaching Center Logo

We coach executives through isolation and vulnerability challenges.

We teach professionals how to coach and support their colleagues.

We coach leadership teams to co-create the organizations they aspire to lead.

  • Coaching People
    • Leadership Coaching
    • Team Coaching
    • Individual Coaching
  • Consulting
    • Assessment for Hiring and Succession
    • Talent Development
    • Strategic and Tactical Planning
    • Coach Training and Certification
  • Justice Systems
    • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Caseflow and System Management
    • Education, Training, and Coaching
  • Coaching Corner Blog
  • Our Resources
    • Our Philosophy
    • Coaches / Consultants
    • Our Business Alliances
    • Testimonials
  • Our Services
    • Resiliency Coach Training
    • Communities Collaborating
  • Home
  • Coaching Corner Blog
  • What's Next?

What's Next?

  • Jan Bouch
  • July 22, 2016

What's Next?

Finding hope in chaos seems an appropriate exploration of the world that has me pondering, “what’s next?” I admit that recent national and global events have left me feeling somewhat down.

To combat that feeling of hopelessness, I decided to return to significant coaching concepts – puzzles, problems, mysteries, and locus of control.

Dr. William Bergquist first introduced me to these concepts in graduate school. He proposes three types of issues that must be addressed in mentor coach engagements – puzzles, problems, and mysteries. I suggest that these three concepts along with locus of control is especially apropos for living and being present in the world today.

Dr. Bergquist describes puzzles as everyday issues with relatively easily solvable solutions. The parameters are clear – such as changing a project due date.

In organizations and life, easily solvable puzzles have a quick fix, aren’t terribly complicated and once done, are done.

He identifies problems as placing more cognitive demands on us as there are less simple solutions. Problems (like a beach ball) have many different colors – diverse points of views - we are all looking through our life lens. Think of a large family system trying to make a vacation decision with all family members getting their needs met.

In mysteries, Dr. Bergquist defines one of their main distinguishing characteristics as being beyond rational comprehension and resolution. Depending on our individual perspective, we often look to a higher power to help us find a way to make sense of incomprehensible acts. In today’s world, I know I am finding myself frequently trying to make sense out of the senselessness.

So I turn to the locus of control as a way to maintain balance and bring hope to the day to day. Locus of Control has two components – that within our influence or control and that that isn’t. As Dr. Bergquist notes, we perceive mysteries as taking place outside our sphere of control or influence, an external locus of control. With puzzles we perceive them to be under our control or influence, an internal locus of control. Problems on the other hand are those complex mixtures of controllable and uncontrollable occasions. A vital distinction here is our ability to recognize what is in our control and what isn’t or what is a blend of both.

As I write this blog surrounded by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, I am sadly aware of the deadly shootings in Munich, an event very much out of my immediate locus of control. What is within my control however is staying calm and focused on my nephew’s upcoming mountain wedding as they commit their hope for a bright future together. So, with a heavy heart, I let go and lean on something bigger than me to guide me in this world of many mysteries.

 

Coaching People: Leadership Coaching People: Individual Consulting: Strategic Planning
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
 

Ready to Get Started? Contact Justice Coaching Center

Please complete all required fields!

Please enter your name

Please enter your email

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

{Comment:caption}
{Comment:body}{Comment:validation}

{Comment:description}

Recent Blogs

  • Be Kind and VOTE Sep, 2021
  • Resiliency Coach Training Dec, 2020
  • ICF Accreditation for our Resiliency Training Program Jul, 2020
  • In the Time of Tumult May, 2020
  • Assumptions! Mar, 2020
  • Gratitude Dec, 2019

Filter Articles By Topic

Accountability Coaching People: Individual Coaching People: Leadership Coaching People: Team Consulting: Talent Development Decision-Making Development Goal Achievement Justice Systems: Evaluation Purpose and Vision

Justice Coaching Center Logo

We believe that individuals can examine their thoughts and actions; we have confidence that individuals are capable of change; we believe that we all want to be the best we can be, regardless of the challenges. We trust in the human spirit and our inherent goodness. We are the Justice Coaching Center. 

 
 
 
 

STAY INFORMED

Sign up here to receive the latest from The Coaching Corner Blog directly in your email.
Please wait
Try again

Let's Be in Touch

Justice Coaching Center
7588 Froman Ave.
Boise, ID 83714

(802) 258-8182  |  Jan C. Bouch
(802) 258-8181  |  Stephen Bouch
Contact Us

 

Our Business Alliances

The Justice Management Institute Aha Insight

Vital Leadership is a Business Alliance of the Justice Coaching Center

 
Back to top