Escaping the Comfort Zone

A director of communications at a mid-size technology firm has been discussing a career transition — from internal communications into external consulting — for eight months across coaching sessions. She articulates the case for the move clearly, has done research on the market, and has a network that could support the transition. She has not taken a single external-facing step. In sessions she analyzes, refines, and updates the plan. Her coach has observed that she treats planning as progress and has not yet examined what she is protecting by staying.

This is a four-question sequence, and the sequence matters. Don't introduce the tool as a planning exercise — she alread...