In reading "Trusted Advisor" by David Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford, I am beginning to understand why it is so hard to stay in the learning space.
Up until now in my career, proving my competence and avoiding failure have served me well and got me to where I am. Now I am looking to shift from a content expert to an advisor, which requires a shift in skills and mindsets.
As an advisor, my value is in helping others learn tools and make decisions on their own; the emphasis is on the time I spend with my clients rather than any reports or recommendations that I put together for them in their absence.
It feels somewhat counter-intuitive but I am seeing how in order to help others make decisions, I need to focus on learning them rather than teaching them, at least at first.
Naturally, to be an effective coach I must be credible and I must possess strong knowledge about how people learn and change, the principles of coaching, and best practices, but it's not about proving that.
I cannot expect to give my client anything of value if I do not understand them first, and for that, I must embrace humble inquiry and curiosity.
This brings to mind a question, how or when should a coach shift from learning their client to helping their client learn? Is there even a clear shift or is it a matter of consistently balancing the two?
Comments