CHAPTER 3What Do You (Really) Want?
Coach: So did you try what we talked about last time?
Actually I did. And it really did feel good to let go a bit. But …
Coach: Yes?
I'm not sure it's what I wanted.
Here's something that can happen early in a coaching relationship: The coachee does start to let go of old habits and assumptions, and follows through with some new action, way of thinking, or approach. And … they're not happy about how it played out. “I tried that,” they might say, “and it didn't exactly go the way I wanted it to.” Or maybe it was just too scary so they tried a safer, half‐measure version of the idea. Or maybe it simply felt like it didn't work, and now they're wondering if the new idea really represented the proper framework.
This, actually, is progress. It means it's time to revisit what the coachee wants—what they really want. It's a crucial question, and it should be no surprise that it can take a few tries to get the answer right.
This is not just a question for the coachee. Companies looking to upgrade their leadership, improve their overall culture, and make the most of the potential in the organization now and in the future, need to go through the same process. The best coaching and training expertise in the world can't help a business that doesn't know what it really wants.
The best coaching and training expertise in the world can't help a business that doesn't know what it really wants.
Any Road Won't Do
There's a really nice quote from Alice ...
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