“I’m not there yet.”
“I need more experience.”
“Maybe later, when I’m more prepared.”
These are often not the words of people who lack ability. Quite the opposite. I often hear them from people with experience, results and the potential to move forward. They just don’t see themselves that way yet.
When we focus on what is missing
One of my clients worked in a senior IT role. An opportunity came up to apply for a Team Leader position.
She was interested. At the same time, she had plenty of reasons why she wasn’t ready yet. She didn’t have every experience she associated with the new role. She didn’t know everything she thought a Team Leader should know. So instead of asking whether she wanted the position, she focused mainly on what she was still missing.
What does she already bring to the table?
In coaching, we began looking at the situation from another angle.
What does she already bring to the table?
What experience does she have?
Which parts of the new role is she already doing?
And which parts can she learn once she is in the role?
Gradually, the way she saw herself began to change. Not because she gained new technical knowledge in an hour. She began to notice what her doubts had kept her from seeing.
In the end, she applied for the position. And she got it.
Being ready does not mean knowing everything
We often wait until we feel ready. Until the doubts disappear. Until we know enough.
But being ready does not have to mean knowing everything already. It can mean knowing enough to take the next step – and being willing to learn the rest along the way.
So perhaps the most important question is not: Am I ready yet? But:
What would I do if I didn’t have to wait until I felt 100% ready?