Does this _____ make sense?
It’s hard to see what’s going on with a chair you’re sitting in. Photo by dutchdzain from Getty Images.
The question I get asked the most by creatives, coaches, and other small business owners is, “Does this make sense?”
The answer is always Yes. And No.
For the last three years, I’ve mostly been responding to questions with my coaching hat firmly on my head. Which means I’ve been focused on ensuring you feel clear about what you’re doing. So I’d reframe this “Yes. And No.” in some way that deepens your understanding. Such as…
“What sense does it make to you?”
Because that’s what’s most important for clarity about what you’re doing and the next step to take.
Or, I might say…
Define what “doing it right” looks like.
Because that’s how you surface those hidden expectations and align your work to a more realistic picture of “done right”.
If I’m feeling cheeky, I might respond to a “What do you think?” type of question with:
What do wish I’d say?
Because this reveals what you really want. (We usually have some idea in there and we secretly wish others will validate it.)
When other approaches might be more useful
More recently, I’ve gotten much better at knowing when a different hat would be more helpful.
So I might ask if I can put on my User Experience hat — the one that comes with special goggles that allow me to see things from other points of view. With this, I can easily spot what you can’t — what’s off, what’s missing, or broken in your creative endeavour.
Then, I might offer to switch to my Business Consulting hat, where I could offer some suggestions about what could be useful to make what you do really shine.
I’ve been doing this for a while now and I really enjoy the challenge. The support I provide feels more meaningful, because I know I’m helping you in a deeper, multi-dimensional way.
And because of this, something occurred to me…
Why not offer all three?
So that’s what you get with the Sense Check™
It’s 3 experts in one – my UX expertise, consulting approaches, and coaching experience, all wrapped up in an simple, effective session. So that you can quickly get real answers to the question, “Does it make sense?”
What that looks like is:
As a User Experience Researcher, I see things from other perspectives and quickly spot what you can’t — your unique value as well as the where’s and why’s of what’s not quite right
As a Business Consultant, I give you a doable plan of action that allows you to lean into what’s working while you fix what’s not
As a Transformational Coach, I help you remove any stumbling block along the way, so that you feel clear and confident while you do the work
And in practical terms?
In this targeted 45-minute session, we’ll focus on the following:
Understanding the current challenge you're working on, including looking at things from new angles
Identifying and answering your top concerns and questions
Exploring various options and selecting a solid way forward
You'll leave the call with meaningful clarity and a doable way forward. In other words, your answer to “Does this make sense?” will be a solid YES.
