“Tell me what I am missing”

Over the years I have been asked this question by many clients (both dentists and coaches). It can often come as the last question or comment at the end of an email/progress report, where the client is listing their achievements and progress.

As a coach, I find it impossible to answer the question.

Since 1994, I have developed two programmes, designed to assist dentists with making “more profit in less time” and coaches with building a six-figure practice – so why don’t I know “what’s missing” for an individual client when they ask?

I was thinking about this on my flight from Manchester to Milan this morning when the “what’s missing” question came up again.

I know my stuff – and I know that both of my programmes have a linear element – but I just cannot get my coaching brain around the answer.

Its almost as if there should be a check-list of the 101 things you have to do to complete the programme – and as if I can tick the boxes on the list after I have read the client’s progress report – and then fire off an email that says “you have missed points 35, 58 and 78”.

But it doesn’t work like that – or maybe I don’t work like that.

Is it just me? Or do you feel the same way?