When an Outcome Masquerades as a Goal
Ever feel like you just aren't sticking the goal/focus? “I just want to feel confident in my role.”
Important? Yes.
Clear? Also yes.
The focus of a coaching session? No.
That line names a destination—an outcome once the work has already done its job. It tells you where the client wants to arrive, not where the exploration needs to happen.
Outcomes are helpful for orientation.
They are notoriously unhelpful for focus.
If you recognize that response for what it is, your work changes. You don’t chase confidence—you work backward from it.
What are you feeling right now? How clear are you about what keeps confidence out of reach? What have you already tried to solve for?
Often, clients will offer a list of things that rattle their confidence. When that happens, resist the urge to tackle the list.
Lists are democratic. Coaching is not.
Instead, stay curious about causality:
Which one instigates the others?
Which one is organizing the mutiny?
If attention went to the one that matters most right now, which of the others would suddenly feel more manageable?
Surface solving treats everything as equal. Masterful coaching listens for what’s doing the organizing.
That’s where the work actually is.
