subject: The Worst Possible Thing When Coaching [print this page] The Worst Possible Thing When Coaching The Worst Possible Thing When Coaching
Ask yourself "What is the worst thing that could possibly happen?" Once that is answered continue to ask yourself "Could I live with it if the worst did happen?" This is a great coaching question
Once you've discovered that you could live with the worst possible consequences of a decision, you are freed up and can make the decision aware of the options. Most likely the worst isn't going to happen, but once you have imagined the worst ad put it in perspective it becomes easier to proceed. Very often you can see the absurdity of your worst fear and move backwards to the next worst thing.
When we ask ourselves the coaching question "what is the worst thing that can possibly happen" is a good starting point to thinking logically through the decision. Often the fear is there anyway clouding the decision making process. By bringing it into the open and examining it we can get some perspective on it.
If for example you are deciding to ask the boss for a raise but feel apprehensive, your worst fear might be that he'll get angry and fire you. You then have to decide whether this is a realistic fear. If it really is then you can decide whether or not to go ahead based on that. However you may well realize that it is not likely and that the worst thing that will happen is being refused the raise. You can then look at the choices open to you if that worst happened. You could coach and prepare yourself by checking out other jobs you could apply for within the company or elsewhere, or you could decide to get some extra training that would qualify you for a better job. By examining the possible outcomes of your decision you reduce the risk of the unknown and are prepared to deal with the consequences whatever happens.
Coaching
People tend to imagine the very worst thing in life. They see themselves homeless, living under a bridge at the drop of the hat, without analyzing the likelihood of this really happening. We paralyze ourselves by fear with pictures of this worst possible thing, without thinking through whether it is a realistic consequence and whether we could handle it if it did happen.
By asking and coaching ourselves the question and thinking through the answer logically, we can go through the options available to us and make choices accordingly. The fear is removed from the decision making process, because we are no longer facing the unknown and we can assess the risks realistically. You can decide how much risk you can live with and manage it, so that you are not risking more than you can handle.
What is the worst possible thing that could happen to you?
Coaching Quotes
"All have disappointments, all have times when it isn't worthwhile." John H. Johnson
"Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plough ahead." Les Brow
David Salmon
David is a property investment and a life coach with over 20 years experience in the world of property, finance and Mentoring. He has also written with Brian Tracy "Wake up... moments of inspiration" book. For more information on how to receive your FREE newsletter from David J. Salmon's Wealth Creation and Personal Development TODAY log on to http://www.davidjsalmon.co.uk/blog/
