🎙️ EP 70 : How do I help someone without knowing more than them?

Someone approaches you with a very specific problem in their area. The person is an expert. They want your help. You actually have not worked that deeply in their area before and they definitely outclass you as an expert. Should you say ‘sorry, I can’t help you here?’ Not so fast. In this episode, I share how you can absolutely help almost *anyone*, by using a coaching approach!

So what can you do when someone approaches you for help who is an expert in their field?

Well, what often happens is that we give it our best shot…we make an educated guess, we share our opinion. Is this helpful? Maybe. It can trigger thoughts. But it is very likely that we tell something that the person already knows.

What is an alternative coaching approach in this case?

Well, firstly, as a coach, I believe that the other person is the expert and best resource in finding their solution. We want to offer an inquiry approach, so we can ask:

“Thanks for asking me. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions first, to understand this better?”

When done well, a coaching approach can then help the person define their own solutions.

Listen to the episode to get a great range of examples, how to help the other person think through and define their path forward! It’s a powerful way and when deep in thinking, most people won’t even realise what happened and simply say: you helped me a lot. Thank you!

Maik