Part 3 of a four part series By Gary B. Henson, Founder and President, BusinessCoach.com

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In this four part series, we are looking at four high impact possibilities that a coaching mindset can add to leadership conversations. In this issue we'll look at revealing hidden barriers; the third of those possibilities.

Revealing Hidden Barriers

Early on in my coaching relationships, I have a conversation with my clients about the "domains of knowledge" in life and in business. Most people are aware of only two dimensions of knowledge: "what they know they know" (how to read the legend on a blueprint, for example) and "what they know that they don't know" (how to surgically repair a human heart valve). But few people are aware of the third dimension of knowledge, the dimension that Albert Einstein called the largest domain of all: that which "we don't know that we don't know". This third dimension is the biggest limiter in our business and personal lives. It is also a dimension that we are absolutely helpless to see by ourselves; it can only be seen and revealed by another.

Leadership conversations usually operate only in the first two realms. The leader points out what a follower does not know or is not doing correctly and then gives benchmarks of expected performance. The follower undertakes to achieve that performance. The measure, in this conversation, is the visible, predictable improvement of something that both agree needs to be improved.

High impact coaching conversations open up the third dimension of knowledge, revealing to the client what he doesn't know he doesn't know. Performance improvements occur when the first two dimensions are explored, but performance breakthroughs occur when parts of the third dimension are revealed. Calling it a paradigm shift is cliché but in this case accurate.

Third dimension conversations are entered into primarily when coaches engage their clients in discussions about an invented future and not just about improving present performance.

These conversations often have a strong emotional charge to them.

I recall sitting at a table with one client as we discussed his automotive company. His motorcycle dealership was number one in the world at the time in sales volume. I was leading him in a discussion about inventing a future about leading the world in customer service too. At the time, his organization was far behind many others in this area. When he realized the humbling admission needed to be made in his own life that he simply didn't know the first thing about achieving this goal, he slammed his fist down on the table and said "I'm making a declaration: being number one in sales does not matter if we're not number one in customer service!" This normally quiet leader erupted in anger, admitted the totality of what "he didn't know he didn't know" at that moment and he changed his future.

Next issue: September 25th Coaching as a Leadership Tool Number Four-Speaking the Truth in Love

Feedback is welcome at ExpertSeries@choice-online.com

You can also Read Our Expert Series No. 1 HERE. __________________________________________

This email is sponsored by The International Coaching Consortium for Coaching in Organizations ICCO invites you personally to attend the 6th annual symposium, "Leveraging Cultural Differences in the Global World" being held Oct 11 - 13 in Toronto , Canada . There will be conversations about organizations and coaching and how they interrelate. For more details see www.coachingconsortium.org/events- 0507.html.

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