What Serves You Best?

The first coaching course I took was Peter Reding’s Coach for Life. One of the many powerful questions he asked was, ‘’what serves you best”? On initial hearing, it seemed a strange question as it could be interpreted as an appeal to selfish instincts. But on deeper consideration, rare is the person who interprets that question in a selfish manner.

Asking, “what serves you best” offers an opportunity to assess all that is important to you in life and regarding the situation you face. It forces you to evaluate all that you hold dear in terms of other people, your values, behaviour and motives. I sometimes ask that question to clients who are facing a difficult situation or managing a challenging personality at work or outside work. They may be feeling they need to take responsibility for another person, or use a behavioural style they are uncomfortable with in order to be effective in a particular situation, or make a decision that goes against their beliefs but is the norm among the majority. This question serves to take them to their most fundamental beliefs and allows them to determine the most beneficial course of action – for themselves, and in general, for others.