Using Pattern Theory, I coached a senior professional who is a member of the Senior Leadership Team in a multimillion £ healthcare organisation.

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My client was struggling with asserting his view that a key client for a new lucrative stream of business needed stricter boundary setting. He felt that the client had unrealistic expectations as to what could be delivered in a reasonable timeframe, and the potential project needed clear terms of engagement in respect of who was accountable and responsible when this client over-promised to his own clients.

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It was clear from informal discussions that my client had initiated amongst individual members of his SLT that the prevailing prediction was that the CEO, who would need to approve a new approach, would be resistant to the proposal, and therefore finding workarounds would be a better.

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My client was adamant that this would be an error, as the impact of accommodating this client was already creating burnout within the SLT and teams below. However, he was aware that he was avoiding the necessary discussions with his CEO.  He wanted help with understanding and managing this avoidance.

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Using Pattern Theory, I helped my client see that he had a unconscious pattern of avoiding asserting his own view in very high-stake moments. His preferred approach would be to create alternative workarounds, very much in-line with those proposed by the other SLT members. However, the facts on the ground were clear to my client - this was simply not an ongoing option for himself, the SLT and beyond.

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Applying Pattern Theory revealed that the avoidance stemmed back to a series of childhood experiences. Accordingly, this was a deep rooted pattern, and the idea of acting against this pattern was highly anxiety provoking.

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With this clarity, I could help my client manage his anxiety and develop a plan to act in alignment with how he truly needed to and wanted to.

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We prepared for a vital discussion with his CEO, which led to a positive outcome for him, for his organisation and for the client, while strengthening his relationship with his CEO.

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Jon McAteer, UKCP Registered Psychotherapist