Mental blocks create panic situations hard to overcome.
A biz coach colleague asked me to help with her client who was just unable to get past his fear of explaining himself and his business on LinkedIn. Though my colleague had tried to break this blockage, it was time for another approach, from me as a third-party, to make some headway.
I was not pre-advised of the death grip LinkedIn put him into. And I do love a challenge!
After an hour of heated debate with the client, we surpassed the irrational concepts he harbored:
- why would anyone care why I love what I do?
- how can my diverse past 30 years’ work experiences demonstrate how well I can help others and operate my new business?
- how do I tell my story to a different (business) audience than my website addresses in a complementary way?
- will old business colleagues remember me and how do I reacquaint with them?
- how do I use LinkedIn to become introduced to my connections’ connections effectively?
And so on, until as we worked through his paralysis, the shackles of fear began to fall off and the inner resilience he possessed came out, ever so slowly.
My points made, I gave him writing assignments to move forward and compose, rewrite, and continually tweak his profile sections on Word, choosing the best threads from each iteration, before posting to his LinkedIn profile for the world to see “why” him.
Mission accomplished in one more, if not a most challenging, coaching session I have held, leading the client to carve through the impediments we create in our minds.
Don’t get in your own way.
