Clients come to coaching with different needs. Some know what they want and just need to know how to get it. Some know what they want, but won’t admit it or are afraid of going for it. And many come saying that they really don’t know what they want. This weekend I was re-reading Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class.” He is an author of social trends and economics with some striking perspectives about the dramatic ways life has changed since the 1950’s. To my mind, they are ways that can make it challenging to know what we want.
Talking about the 1950’s versus today, he says:
“Very few of us work for the same large company or organization for life, and we are far less likely to pin our identity or sense of self-worth on whom we work for. We balance financial considerations against the ability to be ourselves, set our own schedules, do challenging work and live in communities that reflect our values and priorities.”
We know that we are pulled in many directions in terms of what we want. But what makes it even more confusing, is that some of us are trying to navigate this new reality using the tools that our baby boomer or “greatest generation” parents taught us. We are living in an era where passion, innovation and self-expression drive success, but are trying to use security, a paternalistic organization and convention to figure out what that is.
If we don’t go with the old way, how can we shake out what drives us? There are many ways. Myers-Briggs and other diagnostic tests can be effective. Coaches use visioning tools to get at core values. Just thinking about a few peak experiences in your life can be a great start.