(Great questions lead to great answers; weak questions, weak ones.)
“What are the facts?”
Coaching Point: Full disclosure – I really dislike being confronted by an awareness that what I have held as ‘fact’ isn’t.
I enjoy learning, discovering, reading, discussing; in other words, gathering the facts. Precision with language, accuracy of the meaning of words, correctness in their application, all are important to me. I like to understand (head/thinking) and to know (heart/feeling).
So when one of my ‘facts’ turns out to be incorrect it doesn’t feel very good. But to then knowingly live with false facts is… unacceptable.
When a fact gets challenged, do more research. Check the bigger picture – what’s the history? Check its application – is this fact only accurate in a different context? Check communication style – will different words cause it to be seen more accurately?
Then, ultimately, if a ‘fact’ isn’t, let it go. Shift and grow. Though the road to it may be uncomfortable there is great peace in clarity.
As Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”
Are you willing to revisit your facts? Is there one you are beginning to suspect isn’t?
Copyright 2019 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.
