One of my coaches, Rich Litvin, said recently, “The world is one way. You have an insight. And then the world is completely different.”
THIS is the essence of coaching.
–> ONE insight can change your world.
–> One word. One phrase. One idea. One question.
It’s so powerful that sometimes my clients are shocked into silence. Sometimes I am shocked into silence.
Let me give you two examples, one related to my sales process and one related to a client’s metrics.
Example #1: I was not getting the results I wanted or expected using a “proven” five-step process. I was frustrated and confused. So, I went on a walk and talk with one of my coaches and she suggested a change. A radical simplification that would both bring additional income AND remove two steps. I didn’t know what to say. My brain started leaping around like a gymnast – cartwheels, back handsprings, hell…probably there was a whole floor routine: “That won’t work. It’s too simple. It removes that bit of controlling the conversation. It eliminates this other step that I thought I had to have.”
Well, once I let my inner gymnast calm down, I tried it. It worked. I tried it again. It worked. I tried it a 3rd, 4th, and 5th time. It worked!
One idea and my world changed. So did my bank account. 😉
Example #2: I was coaching my client around a frustration he was having with this particular metric he was tracking. “It won’t change, Angie. No matter what we do, it just stays there right at 30%. I’m so frustrated because I don’t understand why it won’t budge.”
I got quiet and a question came to me: “What if that’s the right number? What if it’s supposed to be 30% and you’re right on target?”
My client was shocked into silence. I just stayed quiet while HIS internal gymnast started in with backflips, cartwheels, and some roundoff. I think avoid going full floor-routine.
Finally, he LAUGHED OUT LOUD. “I never, ever thought of that,” he said.
And then I gave him another idea to test the theory.~~~~~~~
Gentle reader, coaching can be that impactful. It can lend SIMPLICITY to something that feels so complex. And it can be that EASY.
“The world is one way. You have an insight. And then the world is completely different.”
Warmly,
Angie
PS: Other happenings:
- Be Wilder! Backpacking + Wayfinding Adventure (April 8 – 10). Currently SOLD OUT.
- Mind & Body Wellness Weekend at Earthshine Lodge in Rosman, NC. Details: Mind & Body Wellness Weekend at Earthshine Lodge