We lose perspective when we are immersed in a situation and feel trapped, or we are stuck in anger or fear, or we think that our situation is a disaster. Perspective is about getting outside of the situation and looking back. Here are some of the questions and approaches I sometimes use with clients to help them gain perspective:
1. What else could be true?
2. Is there a 3rd option? (Often there are several.)….
Use your coach to gain perspective, whether it’s regarding a problem or conflict, a business decision, a new project, or any other topic personal or professional. We lose perspective when we are immersed in a situation and feel trapped, or we are stuck in anger or fear, or we think that our situation is a disaster. Perspective is about getting outside of the situation and looking back. Here are some of the questions and approaches I sometimes use with clients to help them gain perspective:
- What else could be true?
- Is there a 3rd option? (Often there are several.)
- How does this fit in with your entire life’s journey?
- How does this fit in with the company mission, with your personal mission, with your greater community?
- Imagine someone else in this situation, with you as their coach. What do you see? What do you tell them?
- Does this person/ situation remind you of something from your past?
- Given that this person has different values and a different personality, what else might be going on here?
- Imagine you are this person. What do you want? What are you afraid of?
- Have you ever been in a similar situation? What did you do then?
- What’s the worst that could happen? How would you deal with the worst?
- Objectively, what’s most likely to happen?
- What’s at risk for you to do / not do this?
- How will your life be different if you make this change?