When Daniel Kahneman proposed Systems 1 and 2 thinking, it was generally System 2 that took most of the plaudits. While the instinctive decision-making possible with System 1 thinking has its place, when we want to make serious decisions, System 2 is what we should rely on as it affords us rational and deliberate thought processes.

Research from ESMT Berlin explores how coaching can help executives stay clear of emotional, System 1 style decision making and ensure that the big decisions are made with the System 2 part of their brain.

Emotional responses

Events, such as career shocks, can be either positive, in the sense of gaining an unexpected promotion, or negative, in the sense of losing one’s job.  Coaching can help in both circumstances to ease any anxieties around what the future may have in store.

The paper examines the ways in which coaches can support executives as they go through such experiences.  The role of the coach is to help bring the executive to a state in which they can better make sense of and manage their emotions.  They typically do this by providing a safe space for the executive to talk about the situation they’re in without fear of judgment.

The paper cites one particular example in which an executive was persuaded to relocate because he thought he would be ultimately promoted to the CEO role.  Instead, the job went to someone else and he spiralled into a negative cycle of plotting revenge against the firm.  The coach was able to listen and explore with the executive the possible consequences of vengeful acts.  This was sufficient to persuade the executive not to pursue such a self-destructive path.

The authors argue that with the growing uncertainty and unpredictability of professional life, a coach can be a valuable aid in helping to manage any unexpected events that may come your way.