On a Scale of 1 To 10

This is one of my favorite coaching questions. I love to ask my clients... Where would you rate this on a scale of 1 to 10?
 How committed are you? How much do you trust them? How “right” does this choice feel? How happy are you?

Inevitably any answer that is less than a 10 will indicate there is some work to be done. Realizing that there is a space between where you are now and where you want to be is the easy part. Identifying what needs to be done to close that gap is where the real work begins.  Often times going from a 3 to a 7 can be a lot easier than from a 9 to a 10.  There is much more opportunity to go from Bad to Good than there is to go from Good to Great.  So then…

What actions can you take that will move you closer to a ten? What conversations can be had? What agreements can be made? What beliefs can be examined or even challenged? What projects can be started? What ideas can be shared? What people can you reach out to?

The essence of coaching is helping someone to recognize where they are now and where they want to be and then defining the actions will get them there. It is a process of brainstorming, committing, and then holding ourselves accountable to what we said we are going to do. Breakdowns will happen and it is the coach’s job to get you back on your feet.  It may take a bit, but do not worry, I’ll give you to the count of 10.