Latest / The Talent Brief / Knowing Isn't The Hard Part
Transcript
- Jeff Ganter: Talent brief. I've been thinking about something this week. We spend a lot of time talking about awareness, paying attention, trusting ourselves, recognizing the signals. But the more conversations I have, whether it's with coaching clients, leaders, or people navigating career transitions, the more convinced I become that awareness isn't the hardest part. Knowing isn't the hard part. Courage is. Because most people already know far more than they give themselves credit for. They know when a job is no longer helping them grow. They know when a relationship has quietly shifted. They know when a leader no longer creates psychological safety. They know when they're saying yes to something they don't actually want. The signal is already there. So why don't we act? I don't think it's because we lack confidence. I think it's because our scripts are incredibly persuasive. The script says give it another six months. Maybe it'll get better. You've already invested so much. What if you're wrong? Don't disappoint people. You should be grateful. Notice something? None of those scripts sound irrational. In fact, most of them sound responsible. That's why they're so powerful. I've experienced this more times than I can count. Looking back over 20 years in recruiting, there were clients I knew were heading in the wrong direction. There were business decisions I delayed because I wanted more certainty. There were conversations I knew I needed to have before I felt ready. Every single time the signal arrived first, the script simply gave me permission to wait. One of the things I've started noticing with coaching clients is how quickly this framework changes the conversation. Instead of asking, what's the right decision? We ask, what's the signal? Then what's the script? Trying to convince you of. Something interesting happens. People stop defending themselves. They become curious. And curiosity creates space. That's where better decisions begin. Maybe that's the real work. Not becoming more intuitive, not becoming fearless, simply becoming. Honest enough to admit what we've probably known for a while, because here's what we've learned. Signals don't usually disappear. They wait. The question isn't whether they're still there. The question is how long we're willing to let the script keep speaking over them. This week, don't ask yourself what decision you need to make. Ask yourself a different question. What do I already know that I've been explaining away? Because knowing isn't the hard part. Having the courage to trust what you already know. That's where everything changes. Thanks for listening. I'll see you next week. Bye.