We have visitors from Switzerland staying with us this week. They are unfamiliar with coaching, and so I used that opportunity to gather fresh insights into how they might use a coach.

"Well," said Peter, "I would not want to be told what I should do. I would want a coach to expand my options for action."

Ursula added, "Not only that, but expand how I am seeing my problem. What the coach notices that I am overlooking or not seeing completely."

In describing the purpose of coaching, the metaphor of helping a person get "unstuck" can be very descriptive. Sometimes, however, a coachable issue isn't about being stuck. There are situations when we need perspective, not traction. We can't, and shouldn't, move ahead unless and until we can see a larger landscape.

When a coachee gets, metaphorically speaking, "boxed in," use the coaching process to expand their experience of a difficult situation or challenging goal. With more light, air, and elbow room, they will discover new solutions.

Spring has officially and finally sprung...enjoy!

Lynn