Coaches have a special role to play when working with someone in the neutral zone. The coach can help her identify what is lost (group membership, relationships, turf, sense of future, etc.), recognize the emotions she is feeling, and determine what she needs in order to live in the ambiguity of the neutral zone. Coaching effectively in this zone can prevent the sticking or recycling into stages of the grieving cycle. It is important for the coach to recognize that coaching in the neutral zone is also an opportunity to unfreeze old ways of thinking and help identify new ways of behaving or doing things before the new beginning, when freezing of new behaviors occurs.

Finally, we will examine Frederic Hudson’s (1999) Adult Life Cycle of Renewal, which has four phases and one transition phase. Hudson proposes that everyone cycles through these phases multiple times during their lives. Hudson tells us that these phases are normal, predictable and temporary. Two “Life Chapters” are periods of relative stability (“Go For It” and “Getting Ready”), and two “Life Transitions” are periods of profound change (“Doldrums” and “Cocooning”). Movement from the Go For It to the Doldrums (depending on current life situation) can be dangerous, because this move may produce a downward spiral of negativity and helplessness, creating toxins, and hindering one’s ability to move on to make a “mini transition” back to Go For It or to enter the Life Transition of Cocooning where contemplation and self-exploration dominate. Cocooning can also be a danger zone if she can’t sort out the state of one’s life in order to transition to Getting Ready, where she can plan and organize for her new Go For It phase. A skilled coach and one versed in Hudson’s model can help her to understand that these cycles are normal, healthy, and an integral part of adult development. The coach can help her mine each phase for meaning, purpose, and future relevancy.

Susan

Let’s apply these models to Susan. Susan is a 52 year old [Erikson’s Middle Adulthood] advertising executive who has enjoyed over 30 years of progressive career growth. A graduate of Cornell, Susan was recruited from a top advertising firm into their management rotation program. She was rapidly promoted in her first 15 years with the firm, proving to be a high potential candidate who managed creative teams effectively, sold and retained top clients, and flawlessly handled the media. Susan was recruited by her firm’s top competitor and became a top talent for her new firm. All the while, Susan managed her family life as well. Married with three children, Susan is the primary earner in the household. Susan’s husband owns an auto body shop in their town. The business has been in her husband’s family for two generations. Two of their children are in college, one in high school. The family leads active lives, with much community involvement. [While Susan has cycled many times in this timeframe, we see Susan’s phase as Hudson’s Go For It.]