Identifies the real problems

The coach is a professional trained to handle problematic situations that need to be approached from other perspectives, where experience and expertise mediate in finding creative and effective solutions. The problems to be addressed by the coach during the various sessions to be conducted must be identified during the discovery sessions. The process of identifying the problems is one of the most important, because depending on the type of problem, the strategies and concrete actions to be applied will depend on the type of problem.

During the development of this guide we will be addressing some of the most important elements that revolve around the importance of correctly identifying the problems presented by the client, in order to optimize the effectiveness of the proposals we make.

Common mistakes when identifying problems

There are many mistakes that can be made when identifying real customer problems. In general, when someone approaches us to tell us about an issue that is troubling them, it is likely that their perspective on it is somewhat distorted, giving way to the fact that the magnitude of the facts narrated is overstated.

Similarly, it is often the case that we are focusing on problems that are the result of a greater evil. It is important that we learn to identify when we are dealing with a secondary problem and when we are dealing with a primary one.

Distortion of problems

Distortion of the problems presented by the client is a very common phenomenon. We must understand that the client's vision and perspective on the problems that afflict him/her is biased by different factors. We cannot be guided in the first instance by the emotions expressed by the client about his problems, but we must use common sense to rationally analyze each of the elements involved in the phenomenon.

One of the advantages of going to a professional coach is precisely this, to have someone who can provide a neutral view on the facts presented by the client, so that no emotional and personal factors intervene against the real vision of the event. If you are not able to form your own judgment about what the client is telling you, it is impossible for you to elaborate coherent solutions that fit the real magnitude of what you have to face.

Problems derived from the main problem

As we mentioned earlier, another common mistake when identifying the client's real problems is not knowing how to distinguish between the main problem and those derived from it. A specific problem can be the source for the appearance of multiple secondary problems, if we focus our attention and efforts on eradicating each of the secondary problems, we will most likely not be able to make consistent progress.

It is not useful to waste efforts on the problems that derive from the main one, if we are able to eradicate the source, they will disappear naturally. When your client starts telling you about his problems, you should always pay attention to what is behind each situation, in order to identify if what the client is telling you is a real problem or the consequence that derives from it.

You can ask questions such as: Why do you think this is happening? In this way you will most likely be able to discover the real causes behind the events narrated. Only by combating these causes will you be able to eliminate the problems that derive from them.