Last week I had the opportunity to work with one of our amazing teachers. He reached out to me a couple of weeks ago, and he asked me to observe a portion of his class and to give him some feedback on the lesson. When I observed the lesson, I was blown away.  The teacher had created an engaging learning experience for his students, and his students were locked in (so was I!). I was so glad he invited me in to observe because it really was incredible, and I personally learned a lot from watching him conduct a masterclass in teaching.

The teacher created a lesson that I never would have thought to create when I was a classroom teacher. If I’m being honest, he’s a better teacher than I ever was, and that’s completely fine. Coaches do not have to be better than the people they coach. They just have to be able to help their people get better in a way that fits their specific needs. One of the most important ways we can do that is by helping them see a clear picture of reality.

Regardless of whether you are a teacher, a business executive, a content creator, or anything in between, you can only see what YOU can see. We are limited by our own biases, assumptions, and perspectives. There is no way we can see everything that needs to be seen. That’s why it is so important to have someone that can give you honest, objective, judgment-free feedback. You need someone that can help you see a clear picture of reality because once you know where you truly are, you can set realistic goals for improvement, and you can put systems or strategies in place to help you meet those goals. That’s where real growth can occur.

When I sat down with this teacher to give him feedback, I told him that I thought the lesson was incredible, but that is not why he asked me there. I knew that, so after I praised the lesson, I asked a lot of questions. I asked him to walk me through his thoughts on the lesson and to help me understand what he was trying to accomplish through the various activities contained within the lesson. As he shared his thoughts, we were able to identify a couple of areas in this amazing lesson that could have been just a little bit better. When we got to these places, I didn’t say, “You know, you should do this.” Instead, I asked more questions. “Have you thought about…?” or “How do you think we could…?” Once we had a clear picture of reality about the places where we could improve, the teacher was empowered to identify ways in which he could enhance the lesson himself.

He’s a good enough teacher to come up with his own solutions. He just needed to see the hidden places in which he could put his expertise to work. The reality is that I didn’t do anything special. He actually identified some of the blind spots himself just by having a conversation about the lesson. That’s the beauty of having a coach. They aren’t there to tell you what to do. They are there to partner with you in a way that will allow you to maximize your own talents and abilities.

I cannot wrap up this post without acknowledging one more thing. It takes humility to be coached. You have to be willing to let someone into your space, and you have to be willing to take an honest look at where you might be coming up short. That’s hard, but it’s worth it. That’s also why it is important to have a coach who can approach their work with you without judgment. If this teacher felt as if I was going to judge him, he probably would not have invited me into his classroom, and he certainly would not have asked me for feedback.

Do you have someone in your life that can help you see a clear picture of reality? Are you taking advantage of having that person in your life? If you are not taking advantage of them, what’s holding you back? What will it take for you to reach out to them? Identifying that person and taking advantage of their willingness to help you see a clear picture of reality could be just what you need to kickstart your personal or professional growth.