Gallwey - Inner Game

In his book 'The Inner Game of Work,' (2000) Timothy Gallwey develops his tennis coaching model (from The Inner Game of Tennis, 1976) and applies this to the wider context of work. 

For Gallwey performance at work, as in sport, is undermined by potential interference. 

P = p – i   

Performance = potential less interference.

Performance can therefore be enhanced, either by growing “p” potential or by decreasing “i,” interference. The goal of the Inner Game is to reduce whatever interferes with the discovery and expression of one’s full potential.’

Gallwey’s underlying premise is that we have two ‘selves’.  

Self 2 is the human being itself, embodying all the inherent potential we were born with, including all the capabilities actualized and not yet actualized.  

Self 1 is the critical inner voice, the  ‘know-it-all who (does) not trust Self 2’ but who constantly advises, criticises and effectively undermines the innate abilities to perform that we all have. Self 1 is the influence of all the criticism we have been exposed to in the past, pushing us to adapt to the demands of the outside world.

Coaching is: ‘the facilitation of mobility'. It is the art of creating an environment through conversation and a way of being, that facilitates the process by which a person can move towards desired goals in a fulfilling manner.’  He points out how our perceptions and definitions of external ‘reality’ impact our experience of this reality.  Thus making a conscious choice about the lens through which we experience work is what redefinition is all about.  He outlines three interconnected principles involved in the process of learning to learn and personal change: ACT -Awareness, Choice, Trust

• Awareness - about knowing the present situation with clarity;
• Choice - about moving in a desired direction in the future;
• Trust- in one’s own inner resources.

 He highlights the importance of ‘desire:’ identifying what we really want, what we are passionate about, rather than what self 1 is telling us we 'ought' to do. 

He includes other useful models in the book, including the STOP model

• Step back
• Think
• Organize your thoughts
• Proceed

and the idea of you, the player, as being a corporation, and examining who actually has controlling shares in this business:  you, your partner, parents, children, your boss? Do you have the freedom to run you the corporation as you want to? What would you need to do to re-establish a majority stake?