“Why am I here?”

 After three conversations that I felt were going nowhere, I asked my client this question out loud.

He was the CEO of a long-established Adelaide business, which had been acquired by a national competitor.  His job was secure in the short term.  However, to progress his career he would need to move to either Sydney or Melbourne.

Our first three conversations were very much “wash, rinse, repeat”.  We kept going over the pros and cons of moving interstate vs staying in Adelaide.  Round and round.

My client locked his eyes on me:

“You are the only one who I can talk about the choices I am about to make who has nothing tied up in the outcomes.”

 I sat back in my chair and went quiet.

He continued:

“You bring a different perspective to the situation by challenging my assumptions and beliefs without wanting anything in return”.

 My client had just named the value I did not see.  I was judging the success of our conversations by visible progress – decisions made, actions taken.  For him the value was having someone with no stake in the outcome.  A safe place to speak his thoughts without judgement.

Two conversations later the client ended our relationship:

“Thank you as I can see a way forward that works for me and my family”.

 I was reminded the question is not “Why I am here?”.  It is “What does the client need in this moment?”  Sometimes the answer is as simple as the space to think.