"Can We Do This Chop Chop?"

I was speaking to a fellow coach recently and she shared her frustration with non-cooperative corporate coachees. Once in a while, you meet a coachee who simply isn't ready to engage.

"Can we do this quickly? I have a lot of things to do."

I couldn't help but laugh because I had experienced almost exactly the same thing myself.

Not too long ago, I was commissioned to photograph the leadership team of a corporate client. One of the executives walked in and, almost immediately, said,

"Okay, can we do this chop chop? I'm in a hurry."

I smiled and replied,

"No."

It wasn't that I wanted to waste his time, or that I was trying to be snobbish. I know he's busy. I understand he has meetings to get to and deadlines to meet. But I'm sorry, I cannot rush it, and I will not. I will take as long as it takes to get the shot, regardless of who is standing in front of my camera.

The interesting thing is this. Clients who commission their own portraits rarely ask me to hurry. It usually happens when someone else is paying for them. The company is paying for the portraits, just as the company is paying for the coaching.

The portrait session or coaching session becomes another appointment in the calendar. Something to get over with before moving on to the next thing.

That's understandable. Everyone is busy.

But some things simply cannot be rushed.

A portrait isn't a selfie. It's not a quick update for your friends. It's meant to represent someone, often for years. Before I even think about pressing the shutter, I need time to understand the person standing in front of me. Just as importantly, I need him to get out of "I'm in a rush" mode and settle into the moment. That's when his personality begins to emerge and that’s when we get the best shots.

The same is true for coaching. Coaching isn't a casual chit chat. It's intentional and purposefully crafted. It is a reflective process that takes time and effort from both coach and coachee to achieve a meaningful outcome.

As my fellow coach explained, many corporate coachees have never been sold the idea of coaching. They don't yet understand how it can be helpful. Some even assume that being sent for coaching means they have a problem that needs fixing. That makes the process much harder before it has even begun.

So yes, when my client asked,

"Can we do this chop chop?"

My answer was simply,

"No."

~

Curious what happens during a portrait session? Here's how I work.