Coaching, 3rd Edition

5

Openings

In coaching, timing is everything. Knowing when to start may well determine if you get anywhere. Since most people aren’t walking around soliciting coaching, it’s the coach’s job to determine when the correct moment occurs. Of course, we can only find an opening by knowing what it is and then looking for it. Here’s a chance to begin both activities. The underlying principle of this chapter is from Heidegger. He claims in Being and Time (1962) that the artifacts and routines of our everyday life are transparent to us until they break down. For example, we normally don’t notice the flow of traffic until it jams, and we don’t feel our shoes until the heel becomes loose, etc. Similarly, most people don’t seek out and are not ready candidates ...