Oops, I took a wrong turn. Now what?
I hadn’t asked myself that in a long time.
The last time I moved, there were no navigation apps (or smartphones, even). I suppose we had paper maps, and just figured out the routes by trial and error? But now, I’ve grown dependent on GPS, even on familiar roads.
How then will I learn my way around my new area?
My husband had a great idea (credit where it’s due): learn the neighborhood without GPS. We’d connect the parts of the map in our heads, notice what’s actually around us, and be more present.
So today, I drove home from the lake without any navigation apps running. At one point, I turned left too early, had to regroup, and then realized the main roads mostly run north-south or east-west. I could just keep going and turn later.
What surprised me was how much I learned by taking the wrong turn.
“Wadsworth Avenue—oh right, that’s near the movie theater we tried. The weird car wash is the next landmark. There’s a walking trail along this stretch.”
The “error” made me think and pay attention.
I’m calling it exploring a space.
To carry out this exploration, I had to adjust my beliefs:
- I can get it wrong.
- I can take a little more time.
- I’m not committing myself (really, low risk of entering a toll road with no exits for 20 miles).
We often avoid exploration because we don’t want to feel disappointed or frustrated, and we may actively shy away from making mistakes. But wrong turns aren’t mistakes – they’re data gathering.
And exploration is important because loosening constraints, even briefly, changes the quality of thinking:
- You notice patterns and landmarks you’ve been missing.
- You uncover new options.
- You increase your comfort in ambiguity and asking “what if” questions.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve watched exploration play out in several coaching conversations.
With one client, during our first intake meeting, I asked: “If you could spend your time however you wanted, what would you do?” Their shoulders dropped. It was freeing. From there, it was easier to see what they already valued in their current work.
With another, I asked: “If your current constraints were lifted, how would you proceed?” The answer came quickly – and again, with visible relief. From that answer, we backed into practical steps my client could take now.
That’s a lot of what coaching is: not a straight line, but an exploration of possibility.
Plus, leaders can create this exploration space for teams. It doesn’t have to be big or time-consuming. I used to ask project teams: “If we had all the time and money in the world, what would we do here?” The answers often surfaced a new idea that could be adapted to real-world constraints.
One thing I’ve allowed myself to imagine is opening up my leadership coaching practice to groups as well as individuals. What could become possible by getting together a group of talented individuals committed to their own growth?
I’m envisioning a coaching cohort starting this fall focused on the most important of all leadership attributes – communicating with clarity and impact. If the idea of learning and practicing communication together sounds appealing, please let me know (just hit Contact in the menu).
No explanations needed – just “I’m curious!”
