The Value of Not Fixing
Why am I smiling in this photo? And who is this wonderful lady?
Let me answer those questions with a story about the how a part-time job 30 years ago informs my work as a coach today.
In 1990 while attending Dickinson College as an undergraduate, a need for extra funds (actually, any funds) sent me to seek out work as a peer tutor in the College’s writing center. Judy Gill was the director and went on to hold that position and to teach writing classes until she retired a few years ago. As director, she developed the peer tutoring staff and defined the product offering for the writing center.
The product offering seemed simple.
Humanities professors would encourage undergraduate students to get help writing their papers from tutors. This approach allowed the students to express their ideas more clearly and allowed the professors to focus their grading on the relevant subject matter more so than grammar, punctuation, clarity and other elements of good expository writing which often provoked a sea of red ink. In short, students came in hoping the tutor would make their paper better.
Needless to say, there was often plenty of room for improvement in the papers we reviewed….
Judy’s direction surprised me. We learned that making the paper better wasn’t our job as a peer tutor. Instead, Judy taught that our job was to help the student become a better writer.
This was Lesson #1, and I’ve never forgotten it.
This shift turned what could have been a job correcting spelling and grammar errors into one where I learned techniques to inspire development in others. My role was less about direction (“do this” or “do that”) and more about exploration (“what do you mean by this?” or “how do these ideas relate to your thesis?”). As a tutor, I didn’t need to offer expertise in the underlying subject of the paper, but instead brought my curiosity and skills as a reader to the conversation.
Sure, we fixed the grammar along the way, and I’m confident we helped to make the papers better. But this activity was in service of developing the thinking and writing skills of the students. Long after the subject of this one paper faded into distant memory, students applied those skills to other papers, other classes, and into post-college life.
As a coach I find myself turning to Judy’s Lesson #1 over and over.
Yes, clients come to me with a situation that they’re stuck on or a challenge at work that they’re hoping I can help solve. But those situations – like the student papers – spark the curiosity and exploration which lead to sustained development. Yes, I want to help you improve your situation. No, I cannot fix it for you or tell you all the “right answers.” Instead, we can tackle together as peers and develop the capabilities to meet this and future challenges too.
If you’re curious about how coaching can help you develop your career related skills, connect with me here or at john@aconnectedcoach.com