Asking for Advice and Why You’re Looking in the Wrong Place

What do you want to know that will (seemingly) set you free?

In my coaching practice, clients sometimes want an answer.

I’m thinking of doing X, what do you think?

Or,

This just happened. Can you tell me what to do?

Sometimes they lament. Not always blatantly, but I can tell by the questions that the client has run out of ideas and is looking to me for an answer.

And I have answers. Plenty of them. I am ‘never-knowingly under-opinionated’ as one of my friends calls it (talking about herself of course ;-)).

However…

Are (My) Answers Helpful to My Clients?

While it’s easy to give my opinion, or to think that the person in front of my wants my information or advice, I prefer to stop and ask myself,

What is my client are really looking for?
What will help him or her best to get unstuck and move forward?
Will information or advice help? (even if it looks as if it will)

When Does Information Help?

Sometimes we know where we’re going and we need a missing piece of information, or we need some options to help open us up to our own imagination.