As a business coach, I work with all kinds of people—executives, professionals and salespeople—some are incredibly successful while others struggle and underperform.
When you coach successful people at the top of their game, it not only is an honor to work with them but also it is very humbling. Often, I learn as much as I coach. We never really finish—we only stop at the end of a session. And those sessions fly by! There’s always so much to talk about, and there’s lots of good stuff going on with them and their teams, their customers, their strategic alliances, etc.
This part of my job is fulfilling in so many ways.
And then there’s the underperforming (or content-to-be-average) person. I’m not saying these people are unable to be successful; they simply are not as successful as they can be—or want to be.
There’s a big difference between those who believe they can and those who think they can’t. I see this all the time because I coach people based on their potential; I’m not just looking at the scorecards.
In any coaching session, there’s either an incredible positive momentum or a discouraging sense of negativity. The highly successful people bring the positive attitude and momentum with them. The “can-do” spirit enters the sessions when they walk in the door. These people are highly motivated and focused on their success. They are unstoppable.
The underperforming person might also bring momentum to our sessions, but it’s heading in the wrong direction. These people are burdened by a negative attitude and a “can’t do” spirit. It’s almost like they have built a business plan around actions that hold them back.
As crazy as it sounds, they seem to be experts on being unsuccessful.
They have all sorts of reasons to explain why they are not doing well. “The company has poor management.” “We’re priced too high.” “Our service is bad.” You name it; I’ve heard it. These people attach such conviction to their reasons, and they spend so much time and energy on what they think is holding them back, that you’d almost believe there is an award for underachieving.
As with lots of things in life, positivity breeds positivity, and the opposite is true, too.
With the overachievers, the mood in our sessions is one of intense focus. Things move quickly, and, as the coach, I’m invigorated when we harness their thought processes, their work habits and behaviors, their great ideas, etc. and put them to the very best use. With the others, it’s often draining to listen to their excuses and to try, time and again, to break through that wall of negativity and steer them in a more positive and successful direction.
Many people would rather justify why they are where they are instead of working a plan of action to change their circumstances for the better.
On the other hand, overachievers welcome action plans. They are always hungry for one more innovative idea, one more great suggestion, one more workable tip that will help them do what they do better.
Here’s the thing: If you’re going to spend 40 to 60 hours doing something, you might as well be the best at it (and enjoy yourself). And I can tell you, as a business coach, attitude plays a huge part in becoming the best—and enjoying the journey.
Henry Ford put it this way: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t—you’re right.”
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