A personal coaching client of mine recently posed a question that really got the cogs turning. They’ve been really successful in their current personal challenge but they’ve got to a point where they are stuck! I got me thinking about how success hides weakness, and what we can do to change that.
So, my client. They are in the process of trying to lose a significant amount of weight whilst making healthy, positive changes in their life. They have been doing stupendously well but they are currently in the middle of a weight-loss ‘plateau’.
They have been brilliant, as far as their coaching is concerned. Everything they’ve discussed, they’ve absorbed. The plans that we have worked on together have been stuck to. They have listened, grown and developed. And as they have moved into the more independent phase of their coaching, they have been religious about it. So, what is going on?
The problem is that success hides weakness.9
Weak points can be hidden
The key here is the fact that when we start to have some success in something – no matter the magnitude of that success – it can sometimes hide areas of weakness. We can become so focused on the positives that we unfortunately take our eyes off the constant process of improvement. Your success hides weakness.
Think of it like this. Imagine a business that has been working on their advertising, this in turn has led to a nice boost to their sales. Yay! And by continuing their new advertising plan, they manage to maintain their sales at the new level. Fantastic!
They have grown their business from £10,000 to a steady £50,000 income. What next though? They’ve reached their new plateau in their sales and are ‘successful’ but are they growing? Are they continuing their upward trajectory or are they simply holding steady? And if they are simply now hold steady at a new level, are they truly successful?
What’s the problem when success hides weakness?
In the case of my client, their hidden weaknesses have now caused them to grind to a halt in their progress. It’s not ‘so bad’ in that they have already lost a good amount of weight. But they are going no further.
In other cases, having weaknesses that have been hidden by success can actually potentially lead to a negative impact. Weaknesses un-challenged can grow and fester, ultimately becoming serious issues!
The theoretical business? If they don’t address their weaknesses, then the only place they can go is down. All it would take is for a rival to begin a successful advertising campaign and the business will begin losing sales.
What can be done?
This is truly the realm of coaching and coaching conversations. Our client has come to us with an issue, together we will work to empower them to seek out the weaknesses in their current processes and improve them. Coaching and development is a constantly evolving process and it is important not to simply rest upon one’s laurels.
Within all success lay those areas that with improvement will provide your NEXT success. Every time Manchester City FC play, win or lose they give Pep Guardiola more areas to develop to help the club to grow. Or Usain Bolt’s lightning-fast sprinting. Or any Formula 1 race. With every success comes great potential for growth.
Be honest with yourself – consider the flaws rationally because they can be changed. Take a moment in achievement to consider what could have been done better. Consider the efficiency of your achievement and fine-tune your processes.
Or better yet, speak to us here at Transcend Coaching and we will help you to take the necessary steps to ensure you reach your goals and beyond. Also, take a look at this blog for some coaching tips.
Transcend Coaching is a small business consultant and life coach offering business management coaching and personal coaching. We primarily serve businesses and individuals in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Walsall, Dudley and the West Midlands but we can help nationwide. Whatever your needs – whether you are attempting to hit sales targets, achieve personal goals or start-up your own business Transcend Coaching is here to help you. Get in touch today for a free consultation!
