Business Management

I often ask clients to tell me about the management and leadership practices they use. Recently, I asked one client how he organizes priorities and plans his work.
He stated that he comes in each day and hits the ground running; he's constantly putting out fires, answering questions, solving problems, etc. Sound familiar? My first question for him was "How's that working for you?"
It was obvious to me that it wasn't. This pattern was not allowing him to focus on the true priorities of his job or to be proactive, yet he just laughed when I asked the question. He laughed because that simple question made a light bulb go off for him.
You see, one of his goals for coaching was to improve his strategic planning and thinking. Now he could see that he was his own worst enemy to success with this goal.
His day-to-day practices didn't leave room to thinking or planning strategy, and so he was sabotaging himself instead of improving.
This coaching interaction didn't give him the answers; it did cause some internal questioning and a gain in self-awareness, which is the first step towards personal and professional change.
So many of us walk through life repeating ineffective patterns and behaviors. Sometimes just having someone ask, "How's that working for you?" can wake you up to more conscious living. This client reports that he now often asks himself this question, especially as he reviews his own management and leadership practices in relation to his objectives and goals. He credits this one question as the catalyst for many changes at home and work.
What practice or pattern is impeding YOUR success? What will it take to wake you up to that?
What about the people working around you? Do you see someone stuck in a pattern of behavior that goes against what they're trying to achieve? You don't have to be a professional coach to ask them, "How's that working for you?"