Look For the Way In

When we feel stuck, when things aren’t going well, we often look for the way out. A new strategy. The quick fix.

Perhaps that is what we need.

But often a new strategy is just another shiny object, a way to avoid the underlying issue.

When we are seeking a way out, it’s more likely that what we really need is a way in. We need someone to hold space for us to get real and honest and to guide us into and through that dark space where our fears and doubts fester.

Before you switch strategies, even before you seek advice (and certainly before you offer advice) it helps to go back to basics.

As a starting point, what’s really keeping you stuck?

More directly, what is your fear?

Similarly, in The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanger advises that before you come in with the fix you ask:

What’s the real issue here?

Pause to listen to what the issue really is. Often it’s not a problem of strategy.

If you’re stuck in a project, here are some questions you can ask:

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• Why is it important and necessary?
• Who is it for?
• Why do they need it?
• Is it aligned with your values, mission, and purpose?

Maybe you do need a new strategy, but without resolving these inner issues first no strategy will be effective.

The way out is to go in.