Improving the signal-to-noise ratio
Small changes can have big impact
When people hear that I am a professional and personal coach, they often ask me what kinds of people I work with and what topics are addressed typically. Since the coaching I do and the people I work with are so varied in intent, life context, and subject matter, at times I’ve struggled to come up with a concise description of my practice. Coaching is not well understood and can mean so many things to different people in different contexts, and sometimes it seems easier to give the five-paragraph rather than the one-paragraph answer. Lately, I’ve settled on an explanation that goes something like this: “I work with people, often mid- to late-career, who have a desire to be more intentional about finding fulfillment in their lives; to do so, I focus on helping them improve their signal-to-noise ratio.” But what does that mean?
Most people get the intent of the first part of my explanation: being more intentional and seeking more fulfillment is an appealing thought (although what “fulfillment” means deserves and gets lots of exploration in the coaching cycle). The signal-to-noise ratio metaphor often leads to more questions. “What do you mean by that?” is a pretty frequent response to my practice description, and I’ll do my best to replicate my answer in this post.
Signal-to-noise ratio is defined as the ratio of the power of a signal (meaningful input) to the power of background noise (meaningless or unwanted input). It’s a scientific and engineering term used in audio systems, communications systems, imaging systems, and the like. Coaching is often rich with metaphors, which can be a useful way to explain the complex perspectives and feelings that surface when talking about professional or personal challenges and opportunities; the metaphor of signal-to-noise speaks to me.
The “signal” here can be viewed as someone’s life purpose, their longterm desires and intentions, the “true north” in their mind’s eye which when accessed gives them motivation, direction, and a sense of fulfillment. I believe everyone has a signal. Some people sense it clearly while others struggle to perceive it. The “noise” is all the things in life that obscure the signal: the expectations of others, the limiting beliefs that people carry around within themselves, the internal saboteurs that often create harsh self-judgment or judgement of others and of circumstances, the inevitable obstacles that emerge to frustrate one’s carefully laid-out plans, the responsibilities people take on (often for reasons they are not clear about), the things people desire and chase despite knowing that those things aren’t truly aligned with their values. Let’s admit it — there is a lot of noise out there.
A high signal-to-noise ratio means the signal is clear and easy to detect or interpret: “I know what I want from my life and I am clear about how I will go about getting it. I know my values, my purpose, and the activities that bring me a sense of fulfillment. I have the tools and the intellectual and emotional strength to navigate the many things in life I cannot control, and I am energized by the prospect of the journey.” A low signal-to-noise ratio means that the signal is corrupted or obscured by noise and may be difficult to distinguish or recover. That’s a circumstance a lot of people find themselves in, especially in an age where social media and politics are adding so much chatter to an already noisy environment. It can show up as: “I am not that excited about my work prospects or personal circumstances. I am frustrated by my financial situation/physical fitness/living situation/personal relationships/work relationships. I don’t feel I am on track, and I am not even clear on what it is I want to achieve, like I am drifting a bit. I get caught up and sidetracked by social media, the expectations of others, the demands I place on myself. I have perceptions of myself, others, and my circumstances that aren’t based on objective truth but I treat them like they are immutable facts” and the like.
Changing the signal-to-noise ratio can mean strengthening the signal and/or reducing the noise level. Once we find an area to focus on, I usually work with clients to “boost the signal” by exploring their values, helping them create a working definition of their life purpose, and getting clearer on what they find most fulfilling. At the same time, we work to “reduce the noise” by identifying, naming and weakening those internal voices and limiting beliefs that get in the way, and by identifying areas where they are allowing other people and circumstances to sap their vitality, energy and purpose. It’s challenging work and requires courage from the client, but I have observed that even minor boosts in the strength of the signal —or minor reductions in the background noise of meaningless or unwanted input — can have huge, tangible impact on people’s short-term and longer-term performance, happiness, and sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Think of an analog FM radio with a tuning dial. Imagine that you can hear the station you want, but it’s masked by a persistent annoying static that prevents you from fully enjoying the music. It doesn’t take much of a turn of that dial to bring the station into full focus and reduce the static to a point where it’s inconsequential. That’s the feeling we look for in coaching sessions and in the work that the client does between sessions. Small changes that have big impact.
My questions for you: What creates noise in your life? What is your signal? And can you hear it clearly enough to act on it?