I’m O.K… and I didn’t know it

Last November, a friend shared with me her cousin brother’s CV. She wanted me to see if I knew of any openings for him, and have a conversation with him on his career
After many failed attempts to meet up with him due to one reason or another, and since there were no opportunities within my reach to suit his profile, I settled into silence on the matter.
In Jan, I started my journey in professional coaching, and keeping the coach I wanted to become aside, I landed on life changing realizations for my own and began a journey of personal transformation.
One weekend into the journey, and 3 months after my friend’s request, I suddenly remembered this guy and messaged my friend to check in on him. He was on a final round of interviews with a leading apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless, something told me I should see him and later got to know that between the time we spoke and met he had been informed he was not shortlisted at the final interview.
So we met.
He was a pleasant and happy young man, simple but with an aura of a warm personality. He was keen to join the apparel industry due to its success and prospects in the country. He wanted to get into merchandising. It would give him growth, and allow him to work with considerable autonomy
I have just started exploring professional coaching, and the conversation I had contained elements of coaching, along with sharing of advice and opinion. But I noticed myself listening more, being more curious, seeing the person in front of me for who he is, forgetting my role in helping him, and being more aware of what he brings to me instead.
After intense listening a few probing questions, I sensed the guy in front of me is something else. He was drawing up and making drones and air-craft models at home, was a tech explorer, a foodie, a craftsman, a music lover with a guitar, a creative eye and a camera!!
All this, which didn’t come out in the CV. A CV that didn’t honor the person he was, A CV that was made up of what the world would have expected him to be. Which made him compromise himself to fit into
Just one answer from him made me see deeper into him which opened up a world of curiosity in me
I asked him, you say you want to grow, and what does growth mean to you?
His answer, while holding his cup of coffee: Growth is not all about money. I want to be able to afford this coffee, but how do I feel its taste. Anyone can make coffee. But how do I feel it the way I would like to?
At the end of our conversation, He asked me if he can pay me, and I saw a world of possibility flashing in his eyes.
I made a few calls to my friends who were part of start-ups and making some out – of – the – box moves in the corporate world. One of them offered to introduce him to a friend in a start-up for drones in Colombo
He was overseas at the time, but promptly came back asking for – NOT a CV – but a write up on his interest in drones. Within no time, he shared a write up on his work done on drones and air craft models, which I shared with my friend.
He was eventually called for a chat with them, and the employer being someone who doesn’t easily connect saw him as an interesting find!!
He now works on contract at twice the pay he received last.
He is learning, enjoying, meeting up with authorities, marketing, test flying, learning legal work, doing up user manuals..
I also received positive feedback from the employer – they are happy with him and says it was a good find
This is not a happy ending, or sharing of a success story
It’s just the beginning of a beautiful and transformational journey
For him as an Individual and for myself as a Coach
It’s a HUGE impact but a SMALL step towards the beginning of something beautiful
If I had met him prior to this journey, how different would have this conversation been
I would had asked him to up his skills, be more focused, maybe redo his CV, and work harder in whatever he gets to prove himself
I would have had a world of advice for him to give which would have landed on him and flown away in equal speed.
Here – I did NOTHING
In being and in listening and in being curious about the person in front of him, I saw him envision a world in front of his eyes which he probably knew existed, but now saw happening
Below was his feedback to me;
The conversation helped me in such a manner;
• To think of my own on what I am really good at.
• Figure out what my strengths and weaknesses are.
• Identifying what I am good at, and where my strengths are, as merchandising was not my area…Since I am not a process-oriented person, and my hobbies are tech related.
• I chose to switch my career path working for tech related environment.
In the longer term… I have planned to start my business, since I figured that I am good at doing my own business, Since I have that creativity and am able to think out of the box