So, we have a business relationship going on. Who nurtures it? Do you think it should be the coach, because the coach has more experience? Or, do you think it should be the client, because the client is the one who needs the experience? Answer: a business relationship is no different than any other; both parties are responsible. If the time a coach and client spend together is going to get the desired results, that time needs to be built on a two-way street.
“There’s you, me and the relationship—the invisible yet palpable third party— and we’re both responsible for tending it." –Lisa Gates, Steward the Relationship, Steward the Business, Design Your Writing Life
It’s all about the big picture, the finished product. Coaches and clients come together with a unified purpose, a purpose that can become muddled if the basic relationship becomes unbalanced. I once read that, “people, on the whole, are very nice; they are not, however, mind readers”. If the coach/client relationship is expected to grow and flourish, communication cannot deteriorate.
It’s your time and your future, take care of your relationship.
Hey Carolyn, I forgot you were over here now too. Nice work, and thanks for the mention.
This is a timely reference, because I just had this conversation yesterday. A prospective client said, "I just want you to map out a plan for me," and I said, "Well, I could, but that's consulting. And two months down the road you'd fire me because it isn't what YOU wanted. What if we brainstorm and you map it out?"
We just have to be willing to keep our ears tuned up, yes? And listen for the resonance, where it's connected to the big picture.
Posted by: Lisa | May 19, 2007 10:06 AM | Permalink to Comment