Introduction to Elasticity

Introduction

As an Executive and Business Coach who works with C-Suite leaders my clients bring challenges on being able to engage a range of skills in different domains to our thinking sessions. Following the success that I witness when clients apply their insights in practice, I thought that a broader audience may benefit from some of these.

This series of articles will share practice-based experience supported by the theory that you can use for your personal growth and that of your teams and your extended organisation. What I have noticed is that people adapt differently to a stimulus or stressor and therefore develop context-specific strategies and solutions which may be unique to what has been adopted before. When I researched this, I came across an article in Current Psychology of 9 May 2021 that resonated with what I saw in practice. This article extended awareness beyond Resilience to Elasticity.

What is elasticity?

The Oxford Languages defines elasticity as:

• the ability of an object or material to resume its normal shape after being stretched or compressed stretchiness,
• ability to change and adapt, adaptability.

whilst the Britannica definition is:

• Elasticity, ability of a deformed material body to return to its original shape and size when the forces causing the deformation are removed.

In respect of human response to stressors, different reactions are consistently noted which, through their impact, inadvertently lead to altered behaviour and often, to extended impact. This may be either in being or thinking.

The effect can be compared to prolonged repeat stretching of an elastic band which will over time cause the elastic band to lose the ability to maintain its exact original elasticity.

The human difference is that for some people one such severe exposure may equate to repeated and prolonged stretching, whilst for others, even extended exposure may not lead to loss of elasticity but rather to an increase in elasticity.

Why elasticity?

The beauty of elasticity is that it applies to all our different states of being, as I will show. The concept is well established regarding Brain (Intellectual) Elasticity but has not yet been embraced for Emotional, Physical and Mental (Psychological) elasticity.

The research identified four adaptive outcomes for psychological resilience: sustainability, recovery, transformation and thriving which is one more outcome (transformation) to that which Nishikawa identified for Resilience. From research it is also evident that scientists don’t yet agree on which mechanisms are core to the resilience process, nor by which mechanisms people respond differently to stressors. Hence this model creates the opportunity for me to comfortably sit with the concept that, from what I observe, Elasticity is an extension of Resilience, and that Resilience therefore is not equal to Elasticity in my approach.

Do

As my focus as coach is to contribute to Leadership Skills Development through my interaction with clients who seek to pursue this development, I maintain the awareness that the coaching interaction should culminate in doing and therefore the first letter of my model is A for ACT.

The approach is rooted in being mindfully aware and using reflection to consider alternatives but that the thinking should be brought to life in altered action and behaviour, allowing the new way of BEING to show.

As a result, you will consistently notice that the intended outcome for reflective exercise is always to prompt action. You should always be prepared to be prodded into action by way of questions that will inquire from you what the actions will be that result from your thinking.

Elasticity

Elastic bands physically represent elasticity and with each article a specific elastic band will be used as metaphor for the topic.

For this introduction I have chosen to use Bungee Jumping chord as the metaphor. Bungee jumping chord remains at its functional best when used but when it malfunctions it is normally fatal. In a comparable manner our human elasticity functions best when used and exercised, but when not exercised, or when abused, it is prone to fail us, and most often with disruptive consequences.

Toolbox

I created the AMPLE model to help clients anchor their learning and application beyond coaching sessions. At the end of each article, I will conclude with practical exercises to help you anchor learning takeaways for practical use.

              Act

              Meditate

              Prepare

              Listen

              Expand

Act: In the dance of life, the music of living is experienced through the act of engagement. Even when you reflect on:

• What was?
• How could it have been different?
• What can I learn from this awareness? and
• How will it change my future being?

the simple act of writing it down (journalling) can focus and structure your thinking and stimulate you into doing.

I would like to invite you to try it. Act by making time for reflection. Act by writing down your thoughts. Act by making time for implementation. Act by taking a moment before exploding in the moment, taking that deep breath, and calming yourself. Own your Act-ion.

This week: What can you do this week to Act in a manner that will change you? Something different to habit.

Meditate (Reflect): We are often so busy that we don’t get time to gather our thoughts and to see the wood for the trees. How can you build time into your day to re-calibrate and keep your wits about you?

This week: Every day before you close your office door or leave for home, just sit for ten minutes, and ponder the day that was. What comes up for you? What do you make of that? What would you want to be different?

Prepare: You owe it to yourself and others to be the best you that you can be. How prepared are you to engage in life? Take time to prepare body and mind in the manner that suits you, that energises you. Do you exercise or make time for regular recreation? If you like being in the company of others partake in group activities or go to a gym. If you like me-time, consider going for a regular jog or walk. My invitation is to enjoy whatever it is that you choose to do in the way that most suits your individual preference and energises you.  

This week: Enjoy what you do for recreation. Consider your activity and inactivity. Do you need to change anything? If so, make the change immediately. Consider how you can capture the happy moments and extend the impact of those moments.

Listen: Listen to what is being said, as well as to what is not being said. Discernment is a skill that you can develop and hone for personal life space as well as for the organisational context. I always implore clients to listen with their whole being. That implies that you notice the small twitches, the slight elevation in pitch of voice, the subtle shift in position, the pause, the tone, and tempo, and what is left out.

This week: Notice how you listen and what you hear. How are your listening and hearing aligned? What does that contribute to your elasticity?

Expand: The ability to expand and contract is a core trait of elasticity, and the purpose of this series is to help people develop their elasticity and to grow and flourish. To be prepared for the unexpected requires you to build that which will make you elastic, to develop healthy practices in being, to be agile, nimble, and resilient.

Actively surround yourself with that which nurtures you, the people who contribute to your growth and who care for you, the things that enable your being. How do you appreciate these people and things?

This week: Are you actively aware of the people who matter most to you? Are they aware that they contribute meaningfully to your life and that you appreciate them and what they do? What are the things and means that make living worthwhile for you? I would like to challenge you to consider these every day and to note what it is that you are grateful for.

At the end of the week, you may find it meaningful to see what that gratitude list looks like and to reflect on how complete the list is and whether you may have missed someone or something. Also consider what the value of the mundane, the monotonous and tedious may be and what meaning that adds to your life.

What to expect from this series

The articles will each focus on a different aspect of one of the four adaptive outcomes, but I will try to keep it interesting by not completing an adaptive outcome before moving on to another. I will rather mix it up and conclude with a summary in the final article. Each article will endeavour to reflect on how to extend the elasticity into your future career and to continue with your journey of growth and development in the world of work and daily living with all the challenges it presents.

I look forward to a journey of growth and development and I look forward to your feedback and comments.

You are welcome to contact me should you need coaching or clarity: johan@coachtribe.co.za

Johan Raubenheimer, PCC