The Nudge
Hubs and I were in Asilah, Morocco this past summer, where we stayed at a lovely riadh (think B&B, but cozier) that had a resident cat and three turtles as pets. The turtles roamed around in the garden, often near the small bistro tables where we ate breakfast and dinner. One morning as we were sitting there enjoying our breakfast, I heard a thumping sound. I looked over and saw the little turtle nudging the big turtle. This behavior continued until the little turtle got to where it wanted to go. It got me thinking…we all need a nudge from time to time.
Sometimes my coaching clients feel stuck––in an uncomfortable situation at work, in a job, in a company, or in their heads. They need a nudge to help them move along. A coaching call is typically a self-nudge (I just made that up!) because as your coach, we hold up a mirror for you when you are in that stuck place. If you don’t like what you see, you can decide to make a change. It’s up to you. We are just reflecting back what we see and what we hear, and when we notice a lack of alignment, you might recognize it’s time for a self-nudge.
In a coaching session a few weeks ago I reflected back what I was seeing with a stuck client. I shared that the conversation we were having was just like our past two coaching sessions. I asked how she would feel about the issue and herself if we continue to have this exact same conversation in our next coaching call. She realized she was stuck. She recognized she needed to follow through the things she kept saying she was going to do when we wrapped up our prior two coaching sessions. She committed to taking action. She shared what next steps would look like, and she even opened her calendar to identify when she would take action. She got clear on the date, the approach, and talking points for the conversation she had been dreading, yet knew she had to have. A few days later she emailed me with an update, and I could practically feel her relief when I read her email. She needed the nudge.
I recently met with a former colleague for coffee, who is in a new role since we worked together. She said when she saw the job posting for her position, she heard my voice in her head encouraging her to apply or get the heck out of there. She was stuck wanting to do something new and feeling like she didn’t have the experience to be selected. She reached out to the hiring manager to discuss the position, who told her she was happy to hear of her interest and encouraged her to apply. And she got the job! She needed the nudge.
Maybe you need a nudge? Or perhaps a colleague or friend is stuck and could use a nudge? Your coach is an objective person who is there by your side, but not invested in the outcome. We want to see you succeed––whatever that looks like for you. We will hold up a mirror when you say you want to do something and you’re not doing it. Just like the turtle, we will give you a nudge to help you get where you want to go.
