Starting points ....... and ends

The quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a good starting point for a coaching conversation.  

Covey in his book on the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People talks of 'Begin with the end in mind' - though I much prefer the Cheshire cat version.  Coaching conversations without a clear objective(s) becomes just a pleasant conversation. Where a client is completely stuck the first session may often become a session on working on clear objectives. 

Alice speaks to the Cheshire Cat

`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

 `That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

`I don't much care where--' said Alice.

`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough