I forget the first time I noticed an obvious pattern.
Maybe it was about 5 years ago when coaching one of my long-time clients on a communications issue.
She is a relationship coach, so after pondering a solution to her problem, I realized that it lay in the heart of her core method.
“Why don’t you just use your own teaching?” I said, semi-cheekily.
She laughed.
But then we looked closer — and realized her core problem could absolutely be solved by following her exact method.
I started to notice this with other clients.
Doctors.
Writers.
Scientists.
Consultants.
Storytellers.
It didn’t seem to matter what subject matter my clients specialized in, the answer to their most vexing problems was almost answered deep within the core of their body of work.
And when they followed their own advice, they experienced more ease, resonance and impact in their business.
There must be some brain science involved
Seriously, I have encountered it so much, I am convinced there is a scientific reason for the phenomenon. If you have a clue as to what it is, please tell me!
Your exercise: Solve your problem by looking in the center of your body of work
What problem is vexing you right now?
It might be something related to cash flow, business focus, a key relationship or a creative challenge.
Now write down answers to these three questions:
- What method or approach is at the heart of your most common and deep teaching?
- What do you most believe?
- How might this teaching and this belief solve your most vexing problem?
Knowing what you need to do to solve the problem doesn’t mean that you will solve it immediately, or that you can solve it without help.
But choosing an approach that is contained within your body of work will increase your confidence, make everything you do more in alignment with your core message, and be more likely to work with your beloved clients.
Welcome home.
This is brilliant!
It is uncanny, isn’t it Barbara? I kept seeing this so much that I had to write about it. I look forward to someone pointing out the science of it!
beautiful reminder. I’d forgotten all about how this works…because it does.
When working with a client who’s stuck, unsure of how to proceed I ask them to do 2 things:
1) create a play book tracking when they played lately and what it felt like.
2) LISTEN to what you tell others when someone asks you for input, suggestions, help with a problem they’re having. Your answers are clues and direction for your next step.
SHEESH! I’d completely forgotten about this until I read this post, Pamela.
AND today, I needed exactly this kind of guidance.
thank you my sisterfriend.
dawn
Thank you for sharing your insight Dawn! Happy New Year!
Yes, taking my own advice has definitely worked for me. I often refer back to my own book for advice, lol.
Is this not just “the shoemaker’s children go barefoot”?
I find that I’m pretty good at analyzing clients’ businesses, but never know where to start with my own!