WE NEED SOME ELABORATION HERE!

“The reason most companies don’t face reality very well is that their dialogues are ineffective.” Execution, p. 103

Here’s something you should prepare yourself to say with most coaching clients, “Please elaborate on that word.” Why? Because so many words that are presented in coaching by a client seem sufficient for the client. After all, she knows what she’s talking about. But you don’t. So you have to ask. “Would you elaborate on what you mean when you say X?”

The most generous view of the lack of precision by clients is that they know what they mean and they have in their own mind a rich mental picture of it. Yet that’s not the only thing that drives clients failing to provide a rich sensory description of their situation. Some use vague and evasive words so that neither they nor you will understand the problem. Nor do they do this intentionally, it is driven mostly by unconscious forces fearful of fully speaking their truth.