Keira Barr, MD

When navigating conflicting coaching styles within your team, start by creating a safe space for open dialogue where everyone can share their approach and why they prefer it. This encourages deeper understanding and helps uncover the motivations behind each style. Rather than focusing on differences, highlight the shared goal—team success—and explore how blending styles can enhance flexibility and create a more balanced approach. Be mindful of the energy in the room. If tensions rise, pause, take a breath, and let everyone reset. When discussions happen in a calm environment, solutions naturally emerge, and team members feel supported and valued, fostering stronger collaboration.

The struggle with the deadline is usually not the real struggle, there is something beneath it and that's where I focus my attention. Offering strategies and tactics can be helpful, but they only offer short term results. Deadlines will come up again and so will the resistance and struggle to meet them. So I get really curious. What is it about a deadline that feels like a struggle? What is it about this particular deadline that might feel extra challenging? When was the first time they can recall that meeting a deadline was a struggle? By approaching clients with curiosity and compassion, it invites them into a process of self-awareness and discovery and from what we uncover, we can then work with the issue at the root level.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to invite curiosity and compassion. Their avoidance of talking about challenging topics is a survival coping strategy. Something about that topic makes them feel unsafe to discuss . My role is to help create a safe space for them with my presence and non-judgmental inquiry about their resistance. What is it about this issue that is difficult for them? What would make it easier or less charged to discuss? This approach almost always invites an opportunity to dive deeper and get to the root of their concern.

We will always have the most success moving towards our goals if we meet ourselves where we are at. If there is resistance rather than trying to push through it, consider meeting it with curiosity. What purpose is this resistance serving? What might we be trying to avoid feeling, thinking or doing that the resistance is protecting us from? Once we have a better understanding of why the resistance is present, it will be easier to move in the direction and at the pace that is most appropriate to ease the level of resistance and move forward.

Often we can get caught in our own thought loops that keeps us stuck in our stories and seeking outside support from a mindfulness expert or a support group is the most helpful intervention. We are wired for connection and reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, it can be one of the most courageous things you can do.

First, I would offer to give yourself some grace and compassion. Mindfulness is a practice and like any other practice, it requires consistency and commitment to see progress....not perfection. Next, notice where you are able to practice mindfulness. What are the thoughts, feelings and sensations that you experience in those moments that you are able to be present. From a place of curiosity, explore how can you incorporate that experience in other facets of your life. Get curious about what situations, circumstances or stressors you may need to be on the look out for so you can practice your skill of mindful awareness.