“Give it to me straight, Doc…”
You’ve heard the saying before. In this scene, a patient is asking his doctor to give him the bad news, the truth. The patient is not looking for the doctor to sugarcoat the diagnosis, he is brave and willing to face exactly what ails him, for only with this courage to seek understanding does the patient gain the opportunity to improve his health.
But in life and health and business, how often do we actually ask for the truth, or even disclose that we have a problem in the first place? Too few among us are self aware enough to say: “I am accountable and I want to know exactly what is going on so I can improve.”
Most people wait until they have a big problem at hand before they try to resolve the underlying issue itself. Especially in the business world, many of us decide to “play doctor” only after waiting to see if a problem resolves itself. When the problem persists, we don’t go to another person and say: “I have an issue I would like your help solving.” But why?
Because we don’t want to be open enough to expose our weaknesses or shortcomings.
Well, like it or not, recognizing and exposing faults is the first step to health and success. As a business owner, when I acknowledged that another coach could help me improve my work and sought help, it gave me access to blind spots that I would have never been able to see on my own. Only by taking inventory with another and getting direct, clear feedback on what they saw could I give myself the opportunity to succeed.
As a coach, I implore everyone to look at all facets of their life and ask: “Give it to me straight, Doc!” Because the truth is truly the best medicine for you and your success.