Power Tool: Simple vs. Easy

A Coaching Power Tool created by  Panagiota Aleksiou
(Career Coaching, GREECE)

At first these two words are standing in front of us as to be with the same meaning.

But the truth is that they are totally irrelevant the one another.

SIMPLE (definition)

Simple is something consisting of one element or part only: not combined or complex not involved or complicated, something plain, unadorned, pure, clear, unpretentious.

Other meanings

Made up of one piece, substance. Unbranched.

There are some quotes also:

• Simplicity is the main idea of truthful elegance. "Coco Chanel"
• Be simple "Sofoklis"
• Often the simple is wise. "Victor Hugo".
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. "Leonardo da Vinci".
• The greatest ideas are the simplest. " William Golding".

EASY(definition)

Obtaining or understanding something without putting in effort,-without difficulty.

NO quotes…

SHELF APPLICATION

Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.

John Maeda

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

Confucius

Starting a new concept, except of enthusiasm, there is a little – or a lot of – stress; about the procedure, possible boundaries, limited means, your strengths, and if the outcome will be the one wanted. And the most of the times, when the goal is achieved, looking back to the procedure, there is just one conclusion: “It was simple after all”.

This conclusion doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s the result of the experience and the effort  coexisting in this journey to the desired outcome. There were the decision of the definite goal, the construction of the development plan, the accomplishment of the action steps, and the reassurance that the outcome is the one wanted from the beginning.

When  you  discover that it was “simple after all”, you get relieved. Your heart flaps, your mind is filled with joy and your body becomes lighter. And that is because in this simple resolution you ‘re getting after great effort, research, using time of your personal or social area, so you reaping the fruits of your labor. Why not feeling great?

COACHING APPLICATION

Every solution to every problem is simple. It’s the distance between the two where the mystery lies.

Derek Landy

FOR THE COACH:

It’s not always clear,  how simple is for the coach to  handle a situation with a client. It needs to go with the flow. Besides, coaching means continuous effort, education, exercise to power listening, practice meditation, prepare coaching tools for many different cases, gain self-awareness, releasing judgment, deal with underlying beliefs, acquire self-confidence.

Of course it’s not easy. If a coach want to use the easy way, there are multiple tools ready for use. Anyone can buy them and use them. “But even a client can…” . So in that case what’s the use of this coach .

But if the coach  have self-respect, wants to give  a personal touch to the procedure and is a genius in his/her specialty there is no need for the easy way, only needs to make it simple for the client.

Do everything as simple as possible, not simpler.

Albert Einstein

FOR THE CLIENT:

The client begins with a desire ; to be in a better place after the coaching procedure. If there is an assumption that everything is complicated, fear will appear and maybe there will be a delay or  a cancellation. So the client needs clear and simple instructions- questions, to understand the procedure, recognize  the core values, clarify the demanded goals,  dream the outcome, start the action, and,  grow with the process.

On the other hand if everything looks too easy, responsibility and effectiveness thrown into doubt. The client don’t accept the coach as a professional but as a beguiler or an irresponsible opportunist.

Taking the most professional and responsible way , when the client manage all the efforts needed to get the greatest outcome, to get the wanted vision, then everything looks simple – not easy – just simple, because it comes from inside.

Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

REFLECTIONS

• How do you define the words "simple" and "easy" in your coaching application?
• What are some simple questions, that you can use to approach more your client?
• What can you ask the client so to make a clarification of what is simple and what is complicated for him/her.
• What values can you recognize changing in you as a coach, when you use simplicity in the way you're putting your questions?
• How can your client benefits by thinking that "Success is Simple"?
• Are you going to acknowledge your client for finding an easy way for succeeding ? What else can you do - ask about it?
• How can you benefit by thinking that " Everything is Simple"?
• Is it important for you to think simple? What are you gaining from it?
• How can you celebrate the awareness of your client about the simplicity of the procedure?