The Coach’s Conundrum: The Obvious

True story.

I recently was in conversation with a friend who is the CEO of a small organization. They had been struggling in a particular part of their operation that had underperformed for years and decided to (finally) make a change. The change itself was painful and complicated, but not nearly as painful as what the underperformance had created. But when it came time to move forward on the proposed solution, the team involved chose to bypass any measure of direct testing on whether the new solution would, in fact, deliver. They instead relied on traditional, fairly routine steps on which they’d base their decision.

To draw on an example from pop culture, at some point on American Idol or other like shows, at some point, they give you the mic and find out if you can (actually) sing!

I poked on the pending decision enough to make my point but my friend said they’d thought it about and felt good about the process. I care about him and know him well enough that my chosen reply was, “Well, if I were your executive coach and you were paying me as such, I would tell you you’re taking a substantial risk that you’re going to end up right back where you were.” I added some color but he got my point.

In over 15 years of coaching/consulting, the above scenario is more frequent than even I would still suspect. It’s not because these leaders aren’t smart, experienced, well-meaning, and the like. More often, it’s simply a function of how close they are to it - they can’t see what someone more removed sees as obvious. It’s so common, one could argue it’s natural and even to be expected.

As a leader, the trick is not to be able to detect every problem, alternative and ultimate solution. Rather, it’s how to access the information, perspectives, and experience of other trusted leaders - whether they are within or outside of your organization. This is is the blinking light on the side-view mirror of your car, always monitoring your blindspot.

Who is in that trusted circle for you? Whose perspective do you have access to? It’s why even the most accomplished leaders rely on a coach or peer advisory board who are “in” on them and care enough to call out the hard truth - even when it’s obvious.