One of the greatest challenges in coaching, or in any human interaction, really, is the temptation to assume you already know. You’ve studied, you’ve learned, you’ve lived. You have a working map of reality that makes sense to you, and it’s natural to think that map is universal. But here’s the truth: your map is not their map.
Every person you meet is a universe unto themselves. Their beliefs, experiences, wounds, victories, and dreams create a world as unique as a distant star system. When you approach someone with the assumption that you already know what they need, you’re not really seeing them, you’re projecting your own reality onto theirs.
That’s why I developed what I call The Alien Perspective Method.
It’s a way of approaching clients, colleagues, and even friends and family with the kind of reverence and curiosity you would offer if you were meeting an alien being from another world.
Because in a very real sense, you are.
Step 1: Suspend Assumptions
The first step is humility. When a client sits in front of you, release the idea that you already know who they are or what they need. Catch yourself in the moment you think, “I’ve seen this before” and remind yourself: you haven’t. This is not a category. This is a person.
Step 2: Enter the Client’s World
Imagine this person as an alien visitor. If that were true, you wouldn’t assume you knew their culture, their values, or their history. You’d ask questions. You’d listen. You’d lean in with curiosity. And you’d let their world become the sacred space for the session, not yours.
Step 3: Honor Their Momentum
So many well-meaning coaches derail progress by insisting on their own paradigm. But what if your client already has positive momentum in some area of their life? Why knock them off course? Honor what’s working. Build on it. Use their existing momentum as fuel for the next breakthrough.
Step 4: Co-Create Possibilities
Instead of prescribing pre-packaged answers, explore possibilities together. Let solutions arise naturally from the client’s own worldview. You don’t have to be the all-knowing authority. You can be the co-creator, the partner in discovery. That’s where the magic happens.
Step 5: Invite, Don’t Impose
Your role isn’t to force your perspective, it’s to offer it as an invitation. Lay the options on the table. Share the tools you know, but let the client choose which ones resonate. Respect their right to walk their own path, even if it looks different from yours.
Step 6: Remain Curious
The moment you lock into, “This is this, that is that,” you stop learning. Stay open. Stay curious. Let yourself be surprised. Every client is not only a student, they are also a teacher. If you’re listening, you’ll leave every conversation wiser than when you arrived.
Why It Matters
When you coach from the Alien Perspective, you create space for genuine transformation. Clients don’t feel forced into your box; they feel seen, heard, and honored in their uniqueness. That kind of respect accelerates growth.
And here’s the bonus: you grow, too. By suspending assumptions, entering their world, and remaining curious, you expand your own universe of understanding.
That’s the Olympian Life Coach difference. We don’t just coach for results, we coach with reverence for the infinite possibilities each soul carries within them.
So the next time you sit across from someone, remember: you are meeting an alien. Step into their universe with curiosity, and together, you just might discover a whole new world.