It was our first meeting together. He was a regional manager and I was an executive coach. As I sat down in the chair across from his desk, he put down the papers he had been reading when I came in, and turned to give me his full attention. “I have a question for you before we get started,” he remarked. “What do you like most about the work you do?”
This was not the question that I thought would start our time together. Often, I am the person who speaks first in this setting. And my first question often is “How can be of assistance or help to you at this time period?” Instead, he asked me the first question, and it was a very good question to boot.
I don’t know why, but on the that particular morning, I really wasn’t prepared for his question. I recall my answer being disjointed. I rambled and made some comment to the effect that I liked working with a wide diversity people who were exploring challenging ideas. Clearly, I was on my back foot and struggling to regain my balance.
He listened well, and then shared the following. “What I like most about my work is the opportunity to coach people, to really help them reach their full potential. I like helping them discover their strengths and learn how to use them in a wide diversity of situations. I particularly like it when that proverbial lightbulb comes on and they understand something for the first time. Those ‘aha moments’ just fill me with delight and really make my day.”
I just sat there nodding my head like a bobble doll on the dash board of an old, 1950’s Chevy. I agreed 100%. Furthermore, I wished that had been my answer to his question. Helping people reach their full potential is incredibly powerful for the coach and the person being coached. It is transformational on so many levels.
Over the course of our short visit, it was clear to me that this person did not need an executive coach. They had the mindset and the skill set needed to totally fulfill the expectations of their job as a regional manager. They just needed a moment of encouragement to keep going in the direction they were currently moving toward.
Decades later, I have reflected on this short visit and his intriguing question. I have come to the realization that we should be routinely asking ourself this question, and with those we coach and with those who are our colleagues. By understanding these answers, we will be better leaders and better managers. But most of all, we will be building on our own strengths and the strengths of others, too. And this is critical to the work we do each and every day.
This week, ask yourself and many other people this intriguing question: “What do you like most about the work you do?” And then listen carefully. You will learn a lot about them and yourself. You may even encounter your own “aha moment.”
© Geery Howe 2024
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