One topic that has been coming up for me as I continue to learn about Coaching as a career, is "boundaries".
Let’s take another look at "The King’s Speech" for an example. In a meeting with the King, before the contract was signed, Logue had displayed a rather aggressive approach by imposing his unorthodox methods: he called the King by his nickname, Bertie, and insisted that if the relationship is to work, they need to be equals. A bold move with a King.
One of my peers commented that she was put off by how that approach could have alienated the client before a partnership is even established.
I, on the other hand, found it to be brilliant and admirable.
If the King was not comfortable with Logue’s well-established technique, then it would not have been a successful partnership. Logue's aggressive approach would have surfaced the incompatibility right away.
This got me thinking about how much of a two-way relationship coaching is. The client is important, absolutely, but is the client king? If the coach does not have clear boundaries and wants, then any offerings made by the coach could be found insincere or worse, unrealistic.
How does one balance honoring their own model and preferences with being amenable and getting business? This brought to mind a characteristic of incubating leaders, which do function as coaches a lot of the time: they don't offer help where they don't see real promise.
Should I coach hesitant clients on my methods? Should I be more adaptable to different styles? Or should I find my technique and stand firm in it?
I suppose it depends on where I am in my career; am I trying to gain experience and hone my technique or have I become an established credible expert in my craft?
I find your thoughts on boundaries and how to balance honoring your own model and preferences with being adaptable and thereby getting business, so interesting and relevant! As a management consultant, I sometimes feel like I'm so amenable and focused on the client's needs, that I forget to recognize that the work I do as a consultant should be a 50/50 partnership with my client - and that my clients have responsibilites that I need not take on. I am hoping to learning how such an approach can unravel when it comes to coaching - and how that might affect the question of boundaries and maybe also being your authentic you with your client.