Meet People Where They Are

Meeting people where they are means we need to talk about where you are today before we can decide where we go next. This is a very intentional act and not just following whims – I don’t want you to start envisioning a old Family Circus comic stripe with the kids running all through the house. I have been working with clients long enough to understand there are a few standard patterns that emerge as critical first steps (typically personal management or finance). From there, we map out a strategy that will best serve you and your business to get you where you need to be.

We live in a world where we are continually comparing ourselves to others. Social media has exacerbated this when we look at a single post on Instagram and assume that person has it all figured out and doubt our own abilities because we aren’t there yet. Imposter syndrome, where you feel like everyone else is better, is definitely applicable to your business as well. This thought process becomes a very toxic cycle and something we need to address immediately as we start to work together. We want to respect the personal journey you and your business are on as well as acknowledge what you have already accomplished.

Meeting people where they are applies to both how I coach and meet my clients and also how we need to work with everyone else in our business included customers, staff and partners. As humans we need to win to stay engaged so as we deciding what is the best journey for you, we are going to look for some early wins to build your confidence so that you can model this with your whole team.

I also like to start every meeting by asking “what has happened since we last met?” This helps clear your mind so we can focus on what we have planned because business is a moving target and we all know what happens to best laid plans. Since this is a reality for all of us, we start by addressing it. And my favorite part is when we can tie in new stressors to the important work we had already planned, which actually happens most of the time.