Curtain up
Coaching with the theater metaphor
Last weekend, I took a look behind the scenes at Oper Frankfurt's open day. I marveled at the magnificent costumes and was fascinated by all those who contribute to bringing a play to the stage.
And I couldn't help but think that the world of theater and professional life have many parallels. In my work as a coach, I often observe how people put on masks at work or struggle with their various roles.
Take Markus, for example, a newly appointed head of department. He would like to be more confident in his new role: “I often feel like I'm playing a role where I don't know the lines yet”.
We used the theater metaphor of isb GmbH Systemic Professionalism to develop new perspectives. We looked at Markus' context as a play in which he was simultaneously the main actor, director and screenwriter.
First, we looked at the “theme” of his play: What was the name of the play he wanted to direct? How did he want to be perceived as a manager? What was his vision for the department?
Then we examined the “story”: What patterns were repeated? Where were the challenges? What would it look like if the production developed for the better?
We also looked at the “stage” (his working environment): Did it fit the play he wanted to perform? Were alterations necessary? Does Markus make sure he performs on the right stages?
The look at the “roles” was very revealing: Does everyone want to play their part? Are the roles being played competently? And do the roles fit the play?
Finally, we turned our attention to the “staging style”: How does Markus communicate? What situations and atmospheres does he create in meetings and conversations?
This method helped Markus to take a step back and develop ideas on how he can fulfill his new leadership role coherently. Suddenly he realized how much leeway he actually had to shape his professional environment.
My visit to the opera reminded me of how enlightening it can be to look through theater glasses. It invites us to take a fresh look at our professional lives and shape them creatively, as directors of our own play.
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts," (Shakespeare, As You Like It)
In which professional role do you sometimes feel like an actor about to perform? I'm curious about your experiences.
#leadership #change of perspective #patternbreak
