A few weeks ago I enjoyed a productive coaching session with a woman who can be termed as 'the perfect client'. First, she called me at the appointed time; settled into her office with paper and pen. The dialogue was open and on track. She asked questions, disagreed at times, explored new ideas and was comfortable in being silent while collecting her thoughts. What made her the ideal client is that she was fully present & engaged at all times.

On the other end of the spectrum I recently let go of a client because every time we talked she was doing something else like washing dishes. She didn't see anything wrong with this or understand how she was disrespecting her time and mine. Bottom line she wasn't ready to recognize and work on what was important to her.

This is the time of year when we resume or enter into a relationship with any number of professionals. It is important to know what we want from that person and what in turn we need to provide in order to reach the desired end result.

A recent article Don't leave it to your doctor ... keep a personal health record is another example of how we have to be self accountable. While each state and province has different procedures when it comes to medical records, keeping your own files on your health and your family's will help to ensure that nothing gets overlooked or forgotten.

It is easy to complain because we are not getting the satisfaction or results from someone that we are working with but their starting off point for helping us is based on the information that you provide and how you interact with them.

Whether your next appointment is with a coach, bookkeeper or your gynaecologist; jot down questions and notes in between appointments, be punctual and don't be distracted; that way your time together will be both efficient and effective.

Post Script

In October we celebrate Small Business Week, incidentally I think that needs a more modern branding name as it conjures up an outdated vision of us in the corner of a dingy basement huddled over an old desk and phone. Anyway if you would like to write an article, share a tip or resource just email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it