Over Your Shoulder Support
The avalanche of entrepreneurs turning to internet based businesses has given rise to the need for online business coaches. While the online coaching business typically remains within tightly knit business networks, independent home business owners are either offering, or being offered services from outside their normal sphere.
Who’s Watching You?
Have you ever been in a public place and overheard frustration? Sometimes we can’t help but get absorbed in other peoples difficulties even if we can’t help.
I’m a troubleshooter and fixer upper by nature. I live for the rush of making things work, or making them work better.
Even as an employee your world suddenly crystallizes around something you did, especially when no one else could do it.
It’s A Miracle!
Have you ever taken credit for unexplained phenomena? When you do it makes people laugh because they know how ridiculous your assertion is.
Our local library is small. While I’m busy looking for my daughter’s favorite ‘Winnie the Pooh’ video I can’t help but overhear a woman who’s frustrated with the printing program.
The library charges for the paper so if you want to print something out their secondary program has to kick into gear or the process stops.
Have you ever clicked away with a mouse dozens of times with the same negative results? That’s the frustration I heard in her voice.
I Love To Help
So I’m done checking out my videos, (tonight is movie night in our house and my youngest usually ends up in another room because she’s not interested in what we’re watching) and I make my move over to where this woman is sitting.
“What are you trying to print?” I ask politely.
While she’s showing me the ‘Print Ready’ button she automatically clicks it. I’m guessing she’d done that about a dozen times already.
“This is the printer friendly version of the screen you were just on…” I start to say but she’s already clicked on ‘File’ ‘Print’ and for the first time since she started doing this 10 minutes ago, the library print window pops up.
She’s speechless.
I have to ask her if this was what she was looking for.
Nodding her head, perhaps a little embarrassed, she’s already clicked and started the print process.
{This is the punch-line}
Sensing the tension (I’ve done this before) I turn to walk away, look her in the eye and say, “Sometimes it depends upon who’s watching it.”
I have a great dead pan delivery and she thought that was hilarious.
When I told the story to my wife it rang true. This phenomenon isn’t an isolated event. I watch what people are doing and their problem seems to vanish; almost like the computer is intimidated by my presence.
In reality computers and computer programs get glitches. Just because I’m looking at what’s happening makes no difference in functionality at all.
Coaches Find Solutions
We’re starting up our online coaching business and while initially we’d considered doing group coaching, I’m leaning more toward the one on one approach.
Too many clients have such divergent concerns it would be disingenuous to lump them together hoping to address their specific needs.
There is an incalculable advantage to having someone objectively watching and discussing what you’re doing.
Just like the woman in the library we can get fixated on what we’re doing and lose our objectivity.
The solutions aren’t as easy but the process is the same; the person who’s watching you offers a fresh perspective.
