Coaching: a stage metaphor

The success of human being depends on its capability to create vision, goals for himself, analysis various options he does have to achieve that vision and decide and take actions that will help him to achieve that vision.

Vision without motivation to achieve that is just a wish. Lack of motivation is the biggest hurdle to take action in the direction of fulfilling the vision or goal. Once he is motivated towards his vision or goal, he needs to look for various options which will lead him to that goal, analysis these options to choose most suitable option. Once he decides the most suitable option, he need to figure out what step by step actions he is supposed to take to fulfill the vision.

Many of us find difficult to achieve goal which we set for ourselves, due to lack of clarity of the vision/goal, if vision is clear then possibly?there is a lack of motivation, and sometimes vision is clear and motivation is also there but inability to process various options and decide what action one need to take to fulfill goal.

Human being has all the resources within to achieve any vision or goal he sets for himself. The challenge is tapping those resources when required.

Here coach can be advantageous, who can hold the space for coachee to visualize clearly, analysis options and decide various actions and get motivated to take actions.

Imagine an auditorium, a giant center stage, a massive seating area for the audience. In the seating area various characters, resources which are either supportive, neutral, discouraging the vision are sitting. Also, there are various support groups, various options, actions and resources to take necessary actions, opposition group, beneficiaries of your achievements. Everyone is available in the seating area. All these groups are playing their part related to your goal. But you can’t see, hear clearly due to chaos they have created. It is impossible to see/ listen to your vision clearly, identify who is really in your support or opposing it. There are few characters who can support but sitting dormant and waiting for your invitation to contribute. Path or actions you can take towards completion of goal but difficult to identify in the chaos.

Now imagine these interactions are not happening at seating area but at the center stage. The stage is big enough to accommodate and allow all the characters related to your vision can stand act freely on the center stage without bumping each other. The support group, hindrances, resources to overcome hindrances, options, actions along with stakeholders interacting with each other, playing their part. There is enough space, for these characters to play their role and you can see them clearly, their performance.

Coach is that centerstage with powerful spotlights who can hold the space for you and keep spotlights on the characters on the stage. You can clearly see, what you want to achieve? What will happen once you achieve it or not achieve it? What are the various options you have? What are the challenges you may face? What can you do to overcome these challenges? What actions, when, where you will take? What you need to do differently? What new resources you need to gather?

Through power questioning coach can assist you to focus on what is important? Also assist you to bring new characters on the stage, which can support you, but sitting dormant in the sitting area.

The accuracy of spotlight in bringing focus on important actors and intensity of spotlight to see them and their act clearly depends on the power and quality of questions coach ask!

When center stage is big enough, silent enough, illuminated enough act can been seen clearly, when coach can hold space enough, silent enough and illuminating enough for coachee to see clearly what he want, why he want that, how can he achieve that and when and where he can achieve that?