“If you think you are too small to have an impact, you have never been to bed with a mosquito.” Anita Roddick.
This quote amongst a number of others I often use in my coaching activities. Quotes, especially those that are metaphorical, are wonderful tools to stimulate thinking and conversation.
The power lies in working through their meaning with the person you are coaching and discussing how this meaning applies to them. Follow up is about action associated with the meaning and how they can enhance or alter the meaning in what they do.
Quotes are often good ice breakers with a group as well. Thinking about the meaning and discussing the personal application is a wonderful way of stimulating sharing. Alternatively, asking the group to engage in narrative and share their stories around the meaning of the quote can also be a safe way of creating an environment where people get to know one another.
But back to the initial quote. Someone once suggested that all you do is swat a mosquito and therefore the quote fell down. This led to another metaphorical discussion about how you might avoid swatting if you really needed to make an impact and how you might go about this including what behaviors you needed to engage in. A great stimulus for a conversation and looking at attendant behaviors!!!!