It is really magic sometimes to create impact by helping people find ways forward.
Not aiming for the solution (which probably cannot often exist in such a constantly changing and complex world), but various options to choose from for different steps forward. Safe training settings, for instance, are labs where people can pick their highly individual best options from all that is co-created together, from concrete cases that are discussed.
I invite people to have critical talks about anything they wish to change, and guide them to a higher quality of action, wellbeing and progress.
What often strikes me, is how clients have critical talks with me instead of the persons they would really like to talk and converse with. About their desired relationship with them, about goals, about processes and procedures, vision, mission, strategy,…
‘How could you raise this topic yourself directly with the person you want to address?’
‘Suppose you would have a fruitful talk with your counterpart, how would you notice? How will the other person notice? And what about your colleagues, how will they notice that you’ve made progress?’ The beginning of a series of many questions that help people explore and find their way forward. The best solutions are made by customers themselves in 9 out of 10 cases.
Critical talks are about the ability to talk to each other directly and reach solutions that are good enough for both of you. It’s hardly ever about fluffy dream solutions, building dream teams, working for dream organisations – I prefer ‘best possible goals’ over the term ‘future perfect’.
The best possible steps forward, in the first place making use of what’s already there instead of what’s not there. Focussing on what works now, what worked before and what could be working.
(Critical talks will be bound to fail by inducing problems, for instance by playing mental chess and structurally looking for the pejorative side of the interpretation coin)
