Want – Willing – Won’t: Consulting and Coaching’s Hidden Resource

The precision nutrition certificate, amongst other many valuable resources, provided a worksheet for use on client’s titled Want, Willing, Won’t.

In essence this worksheet gives us a nutrition coach an idea of our client’s big picture wants, what they are willing to do for it and what they won’t do to achieve that goal.

Since my discovery of this resource, it has been of immense value and not just for exercise nutrition service side of things.

On a corporate and executive side, it more directly answers questions that the overused and oftentimes mundane SWOT analysis fails to address. It answers, in a concise way the three signification variations of what.

What will they do to make things work?

What would success look like for them in the long term? What is the company, or leaders acting on behalf of said company willing to do to make it happen?

What follows are the multifaceted willingness statements that help any external consultant or coach navigate effective project planning as it aligns with the needs of those we serve.

Are they willing to put in the time and effort to collaborate effectively?

Are they willing to listen to customer feedback?

Are they willing to set aside their own opinions of what once worked and perhaps revisit the long-forgotten mission, vision and values of the organization as a whole, in order to better address the ever-changing landscape of their target market?

Are they willing to work together to find alternate revenue streams?

What exactly are they willing to put on the line to think different, and outstep their competition?

Will they to listen, really listen, to stakeholders and employees?

Which leads us to the won’t.

What is off the table, out of the question, too much by way of both time, energy, and funding for these clients.

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Knowing our consulting client’s want-willing-wont’s allows us, as external consultants, develop effective project plans that actually work, and work efficiently with the buy in, collaboration and support of our clients. It is the coming together of these what’s that fuels next level strategic planning and makes our client’s feel respected, heard and valued.

We may also apply the want-willing-won’t concept in support of our life purpose and nutrition exercise coaching clientele.

Big picture what to these individuals want for themselves, in the bigger picture?

What are their manifestations for their ideal future self?

What alignment with their life’s purpose or their ideal physique and physical capability look like to them, specifically as it serves their unique desires and goals?

Knowing what our clients want for themselves, looking at what they are willing to do to achieve those goals is important. Not only does it help us come up with a feasible, realistic plans but it also helps us assess their thoughts and feelings, with the aim of, to the best of our abilities, knock it out of the park for them and with them.

To that end, it is also important to know what our clients are not comfortable with. Specifically, what they will not do. This can help us plan for and discuss with them realistic action plans, and guide conversations in order to move them forward in a way that they feel heard, supported and really listened to by us as coaches.

Since all types of coaching is usually scheduled at regular intervals over a longer period of time, we should look to begin building that steady foundation for a safe space with our clients early on in our working relationship.

In this consultant and coach’s opinion, I understand the wont’s as an essential part of the earning of and building on the trust our clients have in us, by first and foremost, and from the very beginning, respecting their boundaries at all times.

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