Once upon a time, I danced to the tune of partners and clients. It usually ended badly for all of us.
For instance, a client would articulate how he envisioned solving his problem. In his perception, the diagnosis was clear, and all that remained was to choose the best response to the question: "How?"
Inside me, protest would rise, but I suppressed it. After all, the client's arguments were clear, tangible, and logical. And my doubts were just a vague sense of "Something's wrong here."
The mistake cost me dearly. But I had to make it many times before the following thought finally dawned on me:
Not everything obvious is true. The real may not yet have a form.
Later, in the works of philosopher Eugene Gendlin, I found an explanation for why this is so. The implicit process of life gives birth to all tangible forms—from rough ideas to sophisticated paradigms.
As the boy in the movie "Amélie" said, "The fool looks at a finger that points at the sky." Alas, we too easily forget that any symbol is merely a pointer to phenomenon X.
So, I started focusing not on the clients' words but on what they are truly suffering from and trying to describe. In 99 cases out of 100, reality is completely different from what they imagined.
But usually, I don't have a clear understanding either. Fortunately, it's not needed. The only thing required is my intention and the client's to unearth the truth at any cost.
That's how my job simplified. The key is to choose partners and clients who have matured enough to question their familiar arguments and cherished beliefs.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.