Sometimes once the goal is achieved, people realise that it is not really what they wanted. The most common is the one where a person wants to be rich thinking it will solve all their problems. And when the goal is achieved they are no happier plus they are still confronted with the same old problems.
Ecology is about creating a win-win situation for the person making the change. The question to be asked by the coach before a change is made is “will this enrich your life when you make this change?” Taken to another level the question is “will it be safe for me, you and the planet at large?”
The Oxford Dictionary defines ecology as “The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.” It is no different to NLP if you look at the individual as the “organism” and their life and people as the “physical surroundings” or environment.
In my observation ecology has a far wider scope than setting a goal during a coaching session. It permeates everything we say and do. Intimately wrapped with ecology are the concepts of integrity and congruence.
Time and again I have seen that there is no ecology present if either integrity or congruence is missing. A person or organisation that says something and does something else is not practising ecology. An interview I attended quite a while ago comes to mind.
A large multinational prided itself on its work-life balance policy. I attended an interview after office hours; not a good sign! Then the interviewer, a senior division head, kept me waiting for half an hour; another bad omen. When he finally arrived there was no apology and he launched straight into the job scope. The final clinch came when he openly declared that he did not subscribe to the company’s work-life balance policy!
There was no congruence between the company’s philosophy and its employee. Imagine the impact this person had on the lives of those working in his division, their careers, families and wellbeing.
Another episode is a yoga and meditation instructor who preached consciousness, awareness and stillness to align the mind, body and spirit. But she turned out to be one of the most scattered individuals I have come across.
In my experience the depth of ecology also tends to change during the different phases of an individual’s life. A teenager with no financial commitments or family responsibilities will have an easier time deciding on, for example, what to study at university, compared to a married adult with children thinking about a career change.
Similarly, a dating couple, who decide to break-up, would create less consequences in comparison to a married couple with children. This is akin to causing a ripple in a pond; the pond being the environment. A child or teenager’s circle of influence or environment is generally smaller than that of an adult. In the same vein an elderly person’s environment may not be as extended as it used to be when they were younger.