Coaching soldiers under fire is at best challenging. But surely any coaching is better than none at all? Eliot Glover
The British Army has more than 100 uniformed solicitors and barristers, recruited from civilian practice, commissioned and put through the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. One of the principal roles of the Army Legal Services is to deploy its officers on operations as specialists in military and international law, which is how I ended up in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in May last year.
Operational deployments mean working seven days a week, often in excess of 15 hours a day. There is very little time to do much else. I, on the other hand, ran coaching sessions.
Obtaining a clientele on a military base of 35,000 multinational personnel has unique challenges. In the height of summer, the temperature at Kandahar airfield is above 50 degrees. The working day is incredibly long and unpredictable. Beyond one’s duties there is very little time, energy or will to explore personal issues. Added to this is the unpredictability of the situation. Insurgent rocket attacks occur on a regular basis and there was an ever-present threat – and several failed attempts – made from suicide bombers trying to infiltrate the base.
Having already been deployed on three operational tours in other theatres I knew what to expect from the ‘battle rhythm’. Yet I was adamant that I did not want to stop coaching while on operations and was excited by the prospect of trying to arrange sessions in a unique working environment. That was a constant motivating factor for me and one that helped me go the extra distance at times when I could easily have told myself I didn’t have time.
I advertised pro-bono executive coaching on posters around the base, not knowing what potential clients might be looking for in coaching in such an environment. Once people started showing an interest, it became much easier to assess and target areas of need. Most were looking for transition coaching from the military world to civilian life. Helping them appreciate existing skillsets, identify areas for development, factor in timescales and evaluate options, was gratifying for me as a coach. More importantly, it allowed the clients to focus their minds on their immediate operational responsibilities, in the knowledge they were taking steps towards tackling such issues.
Times of necessity
Due to the environment, coaching sessions were always going to be on a makeshift basis. Finding a suitable location and time was always a challenge. Obtaining a room with air conditioning was a bonus. Making the best of one’s surroundings also meant using external locations, which brought new definitions to the word ‘interference’. Sessions were punctuated by colleagues wandering over to talk work, clients’ mobiles ringing (being out of communication is not an option) and the deafening sound of jets taking off.
On occasion, sessions had to take place at night, which took its toll on motivation and energy. However, within a few minutes of the session starting those levels resurrected.
One of the most interesting sessions involved working with a senior civil servant on how he could better integrate into a military environment and adjust his briefings to connect with and have an impact on, a military audience. Given how late it was and that I worked alongside him in my daily operational role, I was tempted to consent to his request for immediate feedback. I resisted the urge so that while the coaching session took longer, my colleague arrived at his own conclusion. He subsequently felt better equipped to monitor for himself the atmospherics of the room he was briefing and was more confident of understanding his audience.
Another memorable but impromptu session started out as a conversation over lunch in a packed food hall but rapidly turned into an off-loading exercise. Having a family thousands of miles away, problems at home moving house, juggling financial concerns and fast approaching an important career decision while working flat out on operations was taking its toll on this individual. I was able to help him reconstruct the scenario, choose viable options, create priorities and buy into a course of action. Only afterwards did he realise I was a coach.
During the four months I was in Afghanistan, I was fortunate to coach military and civilian personnel from a variety of countries including Australia, the US, Turkey and Canada. While my primary role as a military lawyer was to develop the rule of law in Afghanistan, it was also extremely gratifying to coach in a voluntary secondary role in support of the colleagues I served with. Now that I am back in the UK I still coach one US soldier online.
Looking back, I would argue that there is a clear role for coaching in support of future military operations. Prior to any deployment this could be addressed through a structured approach, such as programmes designed to enhance leadership performance and civilian-military personnel management. When deployed in the field, which is often a hostile and stressful environment with limited access to external resources, a person with coaching experience can provide real value through timely and confidential support.
I am conscious that none of the sessions took place in the thinking environment that we, as coaches, are taught about and encouraged to recreate. There was a distinct absence of a calm, quiet place and strategically placed furniture. There is a risk that the quality of coaching will suffer, but my experience is that it is possible to override such principles in times of necessity.
Where both coach and client have acclimatised to an extreme environment, the risk may well be less. And indeed, surely some coaching is better than no coaching at all?
Coaching at Work, Volume 6, Issue 3