There are many ways to do fine work. Sometimes this involves the pleasure of helping people to achieve their positive goals. Different people follow this approach in different ways.
They may do this as educators, medics, counsellors, specialists or in another role. It can also involve helping people by passing on knowledge and practical tools that people can use to shape a positive future.
People who take this approach may get the helper’s high but their main aim is to help other people. The following section looks at some of the ways it is possible to help them to achieve their goals.
Whatever approach is used, however, it often starts by creating a positive environment in which a person can feel at ease and able to explore. It then involves aiming:
To clarify the first topic the person wants to explore and to clarify the real results they want to achieve – the picture of success;
To clarify their potential options going forwards and, when appropriate, passing on knowledge the person can use to achieve success;
To clarify the route the person wants to take and how they can follow the strategies most likely to achieve the desired picture of success.
As mentioned earlier, there are many ways to help people to reach their goals. The following section introduces one of the most basic but effective approaches.
Imagine that a person has asked for your help in working toward their personal or professional goals. You will start by making the person feel welcome and at ease.
The next step will be to clarify the various topics or challenges the person wants to explore. Here are some of the topics that some people mention.
I want to explore:
How to feel more in control … How to recover my zest for life … How to encourage my child who is having difficulty at school … How to help my partner who is going through a tough time.
How to take the next step in my career … How to manage a difficult boss … How to build a superb team … How to build my own business … How to work towards my life goals.
Imagine that a person has described some of the topics they want to explore. It will then to be invite them to choose the first one they want to focus on.
Bearing in mind what the person can control in the situation, you may then want to help them to work through the What, How, When approach.
When appropriate, you may also share ideas that the person can use to achieve their goals.
Before doing so, however, it can be important to ask the person if it is okay to share some ideas. They will probably say ‘Yes,’ but it vital to get their psychological permission. Then, when sharing ideas, it can be useful to ask yourself the following question.
What are the real results the person wants to achieve? What are the positive models and practical tools I can share that may help them to achieve their goals? How can I pass on this knowledge in a way that the person can receive and use to achieve their goals?
Here are some ways you can follow the What, How, When approach when helping a person to achieve their aims. There are, of course, many more questions you can ask under each heading.
Different people follow the What, How, When model for helping people in different situations. Here are two examples.
The Specialist’s Approach
Some people provide specialist services that can help people to achieve their goals. They may do this when working as a subject matter expert, trusted advisor, technical specialist or in another professional role.
Such specialists start by clarifying people’s challenges or goals. They then use their expertise to help people to solve problems, follow strategies that work and achieve success. They sometimes also pass on knowledge that helps people to shape a positive future.
The Solutions-Focused
Therapist’s Approach
People who take this approach encourage a person to build on their inner resources, set goals and shape a positive future. Here is a description of this approach from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy website.
Solution-focused brief therapy is a short-term therapy which focuses on setting goals and working out how to achieve them.
It’s about the future rather than the past and promotes positive change by encouraging you to focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t.
Let’s return to your own work. Can you think of a personal or professional situation where you may want to help people to achieve their positive goals? It is vital, however, that the person would like your help.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Leave a Reply