(Great questions lead to great answers; weak questions, weak ones.)


“Who Am I Trying To Please?”


Coaching Point: Do you know anyone who has never run this question? At some point we all have – for a boss, a date, for inclusion in ‘their club’.

Fitting in and being included feel nice. But that’s not the essence of this question. It’s about overdoing it.

Pleasing others, or trying to, at your expense. It’s about ROI. Are you paying more to please others than you are receiving from them? “I’m just a people-pleaser” is the common refrain of the person who is at risk of overdoing the pleasing.

Why try to please others? How about pleasing yourself?

If you please yourself first, you’ll find something. The people you like to hang out with most don’t need you to perform for them. A healthy exchange occurs. You enjoy pleasing others and being pleased by them in return.

A variation on this Great Question is, “Who Am I Trying To Impress?”


Copyright 2024 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.