Driving in the Rain Is Dangerous; So Is This ...
The feedback tells the story
Imagine this …
You´re driving to an event in a town you’re not familiar with. You're halfway there, but it has just started raining very heavily. You’ve been using GPS, but the weather is affecting the signal. You can hardly see out the windscreen. You’ve started driving very slowly, while other local cars pass you. You become tense, a little nervous, because your wipers are working hard and you still can't see the road ahead. Eventually you pull in with your warning lights on. It feels safer to stop until the conditions improve, even though you’re going to be late for your event.
You probably have experienced something similar, right? Rain, fog, snow, or just plain lost.
I have experienced the same unpleasant and frustrating scenario - in reality and figuratively. And it´s an analogy I find useful to illustrate feedback I want to share.
The feedback tells the story!
At the end of every coaching/training contract, I ask my clients to complete a feedback form.
One of the questions I ask is:
Did your experience meet your expectations, e.g. did it solve a problem for you, provide clarity or help you achieve a certain goal? Please explain how and why.
In the same way as I listen for patterns of speech and repeated phrases when coaching, I also look out for this when analysing my feedback. One of the most frequent keywords that comes up in terms of results is CLARITY. Here are some examples:
It provided a lot of clarity around what kind of plan I could formulate next. Very clear and realistic actions to take forward.
Yes. Clarity on my tasks.
Yes it provided me with clarity, guidance, set things in motion, and set the groundwork to keep building on.
Here’s the thing. In each of these responses, the power in gaining clarity isn't just the clarity itself; it's the ABILITY it gives them to TAKE ACTION and MOVE FORWARD. Without clarity, they were stuck. Or even worse, wasting time and energy going in circles. They weren't able to progress until they could see a clear path ahead.
Driving in the rain
When driving in the rain, our visibility is impaired. Our eyes can’t give the brain the feedback it needs to make decisions. It slows us down. We become tense, perhaps even afraid, and proceed with caution because we are unsure of what lies ahead. Without visibility, we can't trust the conditions to move forward with confidence. At times, this reduced visibility can take us in the wrong direction, or grind us to a halt.
Only when the rain clears, and the wipers dry the windshield, can we see the road ahead with CLARITY. Our brain can decipher obstacles and easier routes, and make a plan for moving in the right direction to our destination.
This is one of the gifts of coaching. Sometimes the clarity comes from simply hearing your own responses to powerful coaching questions. Sometimes it comes from the coach reflecting your words back to you. Or providing insight from a different perspective. Feedback reveals our blind spots. It takes us out of the danger zone.
My clients come to me with different needs. In the examples above, they all got a similar result - clarity - which allowed them to take their next steps.
Equally so, without this feedback from my own clients, I'd be doing the same, driving in the rain about how to maintain the quality and efficacy of my services. The feedback tells the story.
My question to you today is - where in your life do you feel like you’re driving in the rain? Maybe it´s around a new professional project. Perhaps it's about an important life transition? Or maybe you want to upgrade the way you interact with others? But you’re stuck in doubt, fear and confusion.
Are you ready to gain clarity on your next steps? If so, let´s chat. Sometimes just articulating your needs on a free, no-obligation discovery call can give you all the clarity you need.
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Siobhán Gallagher is a coach, educator and writer focused on the intersection between communication, career and wellbeing. Join her mailing list or book a discovery call to learn more about her services. Connect at siobhangallagher.co, LinkedIn and Instagram.