If a coach could go back in time and give himself tips, what would he say?
Engineer by training, Marcos Vianna has been working for ten years with organization and individual development. Founding coach of A TWO Development, he shares what he would teach himself about career from tips and teachings that he would like to have learned at the beginning of his professional life, so that young people can build a successful journey.
Marcos says that if he could go back in time to give tips to himself the main one would be to seek self-development as soon as possible. “When I was younger, I was very concerned about work, results and outside things. That’s part of the moment in life, but I think seeking self-knowledge as soon as possible is essential. What I could have done differently is to listen more before drawing conclusions or deciding something, perceiving different points of view, understanding my triggers for negative behavior and having an open mind to understand that people are different,” he ponders.
After self-knowledge, the coach would teach himself to know human dynamics. “Because everything else will derive from it. Any organization involves a context of human relationships. So understanding people, once you understand yourself, is the most important thing. With this we are able to strengthen our protagonism because we broaden our consciousness and open space for our internal transformation. We don’t stop in time and we can’t stay attached to our own truths,” he analyzes.
Creamy and learned skills
Another knowledge that the coach would teach about a career for himself is that people are born with some born talents. “Not what you’ve worked hard to achieve, but what’s already come from the factory and is easier for you than for others. We use that to grow and people recognize us for those skills. But after a while, we grow and life becomes more complex and demands new skills. What usually happens is that people start using more of the same, based on what they’re already good at,” he explains.
Marcos says this process can make a person’s natural talents become a caricature. “If you’re a good person at making decisions, you may end up being seen as authoritative by exaggerating on this issue. And the higher the level of stress, the greater the chance of that happening. And the results start to become more difficult to achieve at the same level. And it’s no use asking the person to soften their features because that’s what gave them security. She just needs to increase her range of tools,” she recommends.
Common mistakes and professional purpose
One of the biggest mistakes made in a career is not being present at the moment. You may not be very clear about your vision of the future, but in what you are doing you have to feel a purpose, even if it is to pay the bills. Meditation helps in that process. It is very difficult to have that clarity at the beginning of your career because it is something that will appear over time. But at least the presence in what you’re doing and understanding the meaning of that moment helps a lot. If it doesn’t make sense, it’s time to look for alternatives”, he guarantees.
Marcos points out that professionals need to hear more before they speak. “When we’re younger, we have the great urge to show that we’re capable and prove our worth. We have to postpone trials and decisions a bit to hear other points of view. Forming a more solid picture of the situation has reduced the risks and mistakes that we end up making. We always want to provide the answers as quickly as possible, but that can be dangerous. When I was young, I couldn’t admit at all that I didn’t know anything. Today, I admit it if I don’t know and ask for help,” he shares.
The coach would also teach himself that the beginning of his professional life is a very emotional phase. “The intense ups and downs we go through, in response to what happens at work, get in the way a little bit because we end up taking extreme actions. You have to breathe, keep calm and understand that not everything is 8 or 80”, he warns.
And when everything goes wrong?
The career lesson that has impacted Marcos the most is that everything happens. “I’ve been through a lot of tough times. I thought my life was over, but it’s not. When a moment of crisis comes, in which you can’t see much of a way out, you have to move on and not give up because things pass. You don’t let yourself get dragged into the hole. It is important to have a time of mourning, to welcome and accept what has happened, but then to continue. Seek a sense in what happens, no matter how much you can’t see,” he suggests.
The coach analyzes that all the crises he experienced were fundamental to forming the person he is today. “In a way, it’s in pain that we grow. In the moment it hurts, you want to end it. But this experience has an important role, it will bring you benefits, learning and transform you. We get stronger with each crisis that we go through”, he guarantees.
