Buried Treasure

X marks the spot… or so you think. The map took you to this place but you have to go further.

Destination X may seem like the goal but it’s not. Only in two dimensions was it ever.

If you want the buried treasure you will have to go deeper. You will have to explore another, often deeper dimension, with care. You will need to use your sense and your senses. Just digging gets you a big hole – never forget that.

Even then you may not find what lies beneath… Maybe you started in the wrong place. Maybe you just weren’t properly equipped for what was needed. Maybe nobody else wants to go deeper. Maybe it’s just not worth it…

There’s learning in failure though foresight is often more important than hindsight.

Trust your sense and your senses. It takes such skill and trust to guide others deeper. It’s a challenge where trust is your safety net. It needs to be there with you, ready to catch you all should you fall.

So if the place and the time is right (it often is) then that exploration is a collaborative effort based on trust. Dig deeper together – nobody likes to find themselves alone at the bottom of an empty hole.

Go carefully. Look out for each other. Share the work. Go far enough but not too far.

You will find things buried that you value and want to share. You will find things buried that you’d rather discard for ever. Say what they mean to you. It matters that you do.

With care and trust, you will value the journey together and remember it well. Just don’t forget to do something with what you find. What was it all for otherwise?

Postscript

The above descriptive narrative is based on my reflections after working with a number of clients. The phrase “buried treasure” spoke to me and became the key to what I wanted to share. It is based on my experiences of creating a great result together and then digging far deeper to create a (perhaps unexpected) further great result. I think the narrative works well for all of my dialogic work be it coaching, team coaching or facilitation. I hope you find it interesting as well as useful to your own practice. It’s written to encourage. I hope it does.