Here are some of the lyrics from the famous punk hit song Should I Stay Or Should I Go written by Joe Strummer and the boys from The Clash
There is a really simple lesson for all coaches from the 5 lines of lyrics above. Let me explain you crazy punks…
Joe is faced with the problem of should he stay or should he go. He is also like many of us, when in a predicament, wanting someone to tell him what to do. What Joe needs is a coach to ask him a great question so he can work it out himself… with that in mind what if he was asked….
By looking at lines 3&4 and answering the above question, it shouldn’t take a genius to work out what Joe’s next step should be. His quandary is simply solved by assessing the amount of trouble he wants to cause…. sounds like either way there is gonna be trouble. Put simply…..
If he wants less trouble he should STAY
If he wants more trouble he should GO
No need for any more drama than that lads really!
What are the key points from the above then…..
- Most people when faced with a challenge connect with their inner punk rocker self and get emotional. Don’t join in with them throwing the TV out of the hotel window. Stay calm
- Help the person you are coaching assess the options open to them and the likely consequence of taking each option.
- Hold back on solving the person’s problem for them, however tempting it is ride in like a knight on a white horse and show how clever you are
- Find that killer question that gets right to the nub of the issue. Be relentless at making sure it gets answered properly
