What's the shortest distance between your problem and a solution? Easy, getting the help that you need.
But, what if the problem has a component that you can't see? What if, no matter how many different ways you approach the situation, the results are less than satisfactory, less than acceptable, in short...they don't solve the problem? What if you are part of the problem, and you just can't see it?
What if you are part of the problem?
Okay, don't run away just yet. Your contribution may have nothing to do with ability, intelligence, or cleverness. It may be as simple as an issue of time. We all have to prioritize - daily - to determine which tasks and get our attention and focus and which ones have to wait, or even get ignored.
But what if your contribution to an 'unsolved' problems is less about time and more about knowing what is needed to solve the problem, or even how to define it? What if you need help?
Too often 'asking for help' is perceived as a weakness or a failing, when in fact, the ability to ask for help is the strongest, and smartest thing you can do. It is a foundational element of leadership. The trick is not simply knowing HOW to ask, or WHY to ask - but for WHAT kind of help to seek.
When you ask for help you do so from a place of vulnerability, which can be uncomfortable, even scary. Vulnerability literally refers to being "without adequate protection". However, when you allow yourself to create that opening, you actually create an opportunity to get support in ways otherwise unavailable to you. The right coach can be your most valuable resource.
Why You Need to Hire a Coach
Coaching can have an enormous impact on your personal and professional success. It may start with a simple request for help, yet the results are often immeasurable and far beyond what you anticipate.
A few ways your coach can help you:
Get clear about your goals and determine what is really important to you. And, help you to stay focused on your efforts to accomplish them.
Keep you on track and on task. Prioritize and organize projects and be accountable. Having someone to whom you answer is very motivating.
Identify blind spots. Figure out what you don't know, and identify things you are not able to see. Get honest information and feedback about how you show up and patterns of thought and behavior that get in your way.
Build leadership skills. Adopt powerful questioning techniques, improve listening abilities, and learn to mentor others.
Feel happier. Identify and align your values, create focus, cut through clutter, manage frustrations, and increase personal and professional fulfillment.
A coach is a powerful resource who can help you get out of your own way and achieve the things that are truly important to you. It is an investment in you and your future. A coach directs you toward success, and helps you get there more quickly. The question is, how much is that worth to you?