“This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out.” A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out please?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.” Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. “Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey, Joe, it’s me can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.'”
I love this fable I first heard from the wise character Leo in Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing. It actually and beautifully lines up my philosophy on my approach to coaching. I’m not saying I’ve been in the same hole as my clients or know what it’s like to be them or you, but I have been in holes in my life for sure. I think we all have, right? I have help countless numbers of people out of their own holes and through tough times. Each year I continue to coach (approach my 10th year) I find new and better ways to share these lessons and strategies to all my one-on-one coaching clients (and now some if it through my new online programs, check them out here).
That’s the coach’s role. To help you learn better approaches and strategies that work and are relevant in your work, life and play. My coaching promise is to be there with you. Not to tell you what to do and not do, but rather to walk beside you. With you in partnership. To be all parts caddy, sounding board, cheerleader, mentor, shrink, big brother and teacher.
I want you to enjoy choosing and using any of the things I’ve learned from over seven thousand hours of one-on-one coaching and being witness to so much human behaviour, neurological patterns and cognitive thinking.
I love refining and fine tuning my clients approaches with them and helping them see new or different angles and approaches they might not be seeing as we journey down different career paths and life decisions.
It’s become apparent through what I do and what I’ve done that I have something to offer almost everyone that steps into a coaching partnership with me. Almost everyone…nobody’s perfect right? The people, the teams and the organisations I have been hired to help and support all speak fondly of the experience and the results and I thank them wholeheartedly for their kinds words and support.
Someone one asked me about coaching, asking if I thought I could change people. He was adamant people can’t change. A leopard can’t change her spots and all that. I answered him; I’m not trying to change anyone; they are already more than enough. I’m helping them to better listen to themselves, manage themselves and be more self-aware of the ripple effect of their approach, their choices their lives, their communication, their self-awareness, their energy and their emotional intellegence. So yes, now that I think it, actually we can change. I have seen it. Ringside seat.
Thanks for reading this. If you’re keen to hear more about anything coaching related or any questions, please get in touch and reach me here.
