Let’s Stand On Our Own Two Feet And Ask For Guidance ‒Exclusive Interview With Neptali Martinez

Neptali Martinez is the Founder and Principal at NJM Career/Leadership Coaching, which provides career and executive coaching for professionals in middle and upper management levels, business owners, and entrepreneurs in diverse areas such as Information Technology, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, and other business organizations. As an author, Neptali has published more than a dozen articles in a trade magazine, and has published his first book, CoachAbility: Are You in a State or Condition to be Coached?

Neptali J. Martinez, Leadership/Career/Executive Coach

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your current activities.

My background includes managing IT teams, directing an HR department, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses, and running my Leadership/Career business. The combined knowledge and experience from these areas forms the base for my ongoing coaching services. Although for about 10 years I’ve been writing and publishing articles for a trade magazine, writing and publishing my book, CoachAbility: Are you in a state or condition to be coached? is my latest project. For the latter, I’ve had to learn about self-publishing, public relations, blogs, being interviewed, and in general amping up my social media savviness and activity.

What prompted you to write your book?

While I’ve been able to help numerous clients to deal with their career and job dilemmas, I also realized that there were other professionals in similar situations who, for whatever reason, were not availing themselves of any help to overcome their own career problems. They keep on struggling with their daily work routines as they feel disappointed, disconnected, or simply burned out.

What do you think stops these individuals from taking any action?

I believe fear is involved. Fear of appearing weak if they ask for help. Fear of losing respect. Fear of not knowing whom to turn to or whom to trust. So, in the book I present coaching scenarios that can serve as examples, as a guideline, as a lifeline, to those professionals that are still dealing with their challenges at work.

What would be a message that you expect readers of the book to take away?

The message I’m trying to convey in the book is that anybody can overcome the typical challenges we all face at the office from time to time. All my coaching clients have been able to find within themselves “hidden” abilities, talents, and traits, which, once identified, became the catalyst that energized their new efforts, new careers, new directions at work.

What is a key element that a client needs to have for coaching to be helpful?

Recently I read a LinkedIn post by Greg S. Reid, where he says:

“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.”

“A goal broken into steps becomes a plan.”

“A plan backed by action – makes that dream come true.”

Typically, and for practical purposes, we work with a client to formulate a goal. But many times, we start without a goal. Many times, the goal emerges during the coaching sessions. However, goal or not goal, the client always wants something different than what they currently have. They always have an objective in mind, even if they have not verbalized it yet. We can say that what they have is a “dream.” Therefore, if the client really wants to change, the dream, the goal, and the plan eventually emerge to give the client the new direction they are looking for.

What is a typical issue that most clients deal with?

In a nutshell, risk aversion. It could show a lack of self-esteem, imposter syndrome, or thinking that they need to be 100% in control of things before moving forward. They typically overcome this challenge once I ask them to write 4 to 6 success stories from their past. Having to think, formulate, and write several of their own “success” stories, has a transforming effect on my clients. They become more self-assured. They see a side of them that perhaps was not apparent or substantiated until they write these success stories. So, they end up “building” on their past successes as they create their new and improved version of themselves.

What is a message that you, as a coach would like to share with the public?

I think that it is difficult for us to ask for help. We are surrounded by cultural norms that tell us to be brave, to stand on our own two feet, to show grit, not to give up. And asking for help still has a notion that goes against those norms.

So, my message is: let’s change that!

Let’s start showing how brave we are by acknowledging our shortcomings! Let’s start demonstrating our grit by asking for help! Let’s stand on our own two feet and ask for guidance. Let’s show that we are not giving up but are giving in to our growth, advance, and success!

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