Eat Your Own Dog Food
Photo by Ayla Verschueren, @moob on Unsplash
In my work, I meet a lot of other coaches. I really enjoy this part; people who coach are generally self-aware, curious folk and I always learn something new about how I might do things differently.
More often than you might think, I meet a coach who doesn’t have a coach. This always surprises me.
I once even met a coach — a very good one — who doesn’t believe in coaching. “It doesn’t work on me”, they said.
This was a revelation. (Not all of them bring glee.)
You buying what you’re selling?
When I worked in the corporate world as a User Experience (UX) Researcher, I learned the adage “Eat your own dog food.” Meaning, if you don’t buy into what you’re selling, nobody else will.
Or, at the very least, know your product.
Being coached by others helped me learn things I would never say or do. As well as others I might try and adopt.
It reminds me what it’s like…
To feel that moment when a cutting question unlocks an insight. But to also know the discomfort in the moments before, from the stuck chair.
To feel what an hour is like from the other seat and to experience for myself how it all works.
To understand what I need from it, and what others may, too. And where that shared understanding ends.
That said…
I would be remiss if I brought UX into this and didn’t mention one of the industry’s other, most important adages:
“You are not your user.”
As much as we can understand someone, we can also misunderstand them. At the end of the day — or hour in the thinking chair — we are not them.
We really can’t know. Not until we ask. And even then, only a little bit. Besides, we may not even get the chance to.
(Trading coaching sessions with other coaches is quite good for gaining this feedback, though.)
The universal gem
This advice doesn’t just apply to coaching (or UX). We aren’t the end user, but we have a responsibility to understand what we’re offering.
So, whatever is in that bowl in front of you, have you tried it? Do you like it?
If you don’t, or you just can’t find a way to stomach it, maybe it’s time for a change?
