“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” – Romans 12:6
On a road trip to my brother’s ranch down in the Texas hill country some years back our route took us through Fredericksburg, Texas. Notice I said “through” not “to”, for Fredericksburg with its German culture and cuisine, well preserved native stone buildings and bustling Main Street lined with quaint boutique shops and stores makes it a popular destination spot. My wife, Tee, especially loves spending time in Fredericksburg, but on this particular occasion we happened to just be passing through – or so I thought.
Without thinking I whizzed down Main Street to the other side of town headed back to the open road; that is until I heard an eruption from the passenger seat. “What?” she yelled, “You’re not going to stop?!!” “Uh, uh, of course,” I stammered trying to make a quick come-back, “just going around the block to find a parking place.” Moments later as we walked down the street I again made an attempt to defend myself. “I was just trying to get from point A to point B,” I explained, to which my spouse informed me in no uncertain terms, “This IS point B!” Now you would think after all our years of marriage I would have realized that her point B and mine are not always the same.
One of the first things a coach must do when working with a client is to have the client determine his or her point B; that is, where the client is trying to go, or what the goal is he or she is trying to attain. Once that becomes clear then it is the coach’s job to help that person get from point A to point B.
The Apostle Paul makes a point that we each have different gifts. “[If a man’s gift] is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Because we have different gifts we each may have a different goals we are pursuing – different point B’s – yet no one’s point B should be considered more important than another. Which brings me back to my Fredericksburg, Texas story; the fact I thought my point B was more important than hers is what got me in trouble. Sure glad I stopped.