Summary

The author discusses overcoming Shiny Object Syndrome by evaluating a new coaching training opportunity against her own advice, using the How, Why, and What framework to ensure alignment with her goals.

Abstract

In a personal case study, the author examines whether enrolling in a coaching training program would be succumbing to Shiny Object Syndrome. She assesses the opportunity against her published advice, which includes a three-part test: How will it make life better, Why is it important, and What is the measurable outcome. The training aligns with her coaching philosophy, offers credibility, and provides business development support. She concludes that the program is not a distraction but a strategic step towards her objectives of increasing reach and impact, with clear metrics for success.

Opinions

The author values the training program's potential to provide a repeatable coaching structure and enhance credibility.
She acknowledges the importance of effective messaging and marketing in increasing reach and impact.
The author's husband is skeptical about the training being a distraction, highlighting the need for clear measurable outcomes.
She believes that the training will lead to better messaging and marketing, which are crucial for her goals.
The author distinguishes between the completion of the training as a measurable outcome and the subsequent success of marketing campaigns as another set of measurable outcomes.
She is confident that the training program is a means to achieve her goals rather than a shiny object that would lead her astray.

A Case Study: Stopping Shiny Object Syndrome

My husband challenged me to put my money where my mouth was.

Graphic by author. Photo by Kishan Ghaley from Pixabay.

All too often, advice on the internet is worth what you pay for it. That’s why it’s nice to see case studies of advice in action.

Here is a case study using my advice to stop Shiny Object Syndrome.

The case: Take a course?

I was recently given an opportunity to enroll in some coaching training. It’s aligned with my perspective on coaching, to work with what the brain’s already doing. They would also support me in developing the business side, where I admit I need help.

So my husband challenged me. This was going to take away time I could spend on Medium, which I’d earmarked for 2021. Was I falling prey to Shiny Object Syndrome?

After being duly impressed by his cleverness in throwing my own words back at me, I sat down to answer him. Did this opportunity pass the How, Why, and What test?

How will this make my life better?

This was an easy one to answer. Not only would I be able to develop a repeatable structure, making my coaching more uniform. But I’d be able to incorporate the training organization’s credibility to boost my own. Finally, the help with messaging and marketing would definitely make my life better.

The potential downside would be that it would increase my time commitments. I’m already thoroughly committed. As part of the training process, though, you examine your own schedule for time thieves. This hands on practice helps you to walk your coaching clients through the same steps. And as a bonus, you get more time back, which you can use for the training program.

Why is this important?

Another easy answer. Successfully completing the program would include implementing better messaging and marketing. That, in turn, would increase my reach. The consistent, repeatable structure would increase my impact.

The whole point of my writing articles for Medium was to increase my reach and impact. Both avenues share the same “why”. Whichever one best accomplishes that “why” is the one I should put my energy behind.

What is the measurable outcome?

This is actually where he thought the training might be a shiny object. So it’s worth explaining a little more what a measurable outcome is.

The point of a measurable outcome is to determine when you have completed whatever it is you’re doing. So, for example, if you were analyzing a new media outlet, you might say it was working as long as revenues were rising. When your revenues hit 2x your current revenues, you would consider it a success.

If the revenues weren’t rising, or were falling, you would consider the project to have ended.

If the project has neither succeeded nor failed, you would keep at it, and not be distracted. Give it the time necessary to either fail or succeed.

So my husband’s concern of how I could measure reach and impact was justified. But he was confusing two separate things.

Taking the training course will lead to developing better messaging and marketing. But then I need to actually run marketing campaigns using that messaging.

The measurable outcome of the training is have I completed the course. And have I produced new messaging and marketing.

Then, when I run the marketing campaigns, one measurable outcome will be the increase in reach. That can be measured by the number of inquiries for coaching services.

The other measurable outcome will be increased impact. That can be measured by how well clients are meeting their goals. Has their growth increased?

Conclusion

This case study shows that the analysis of How, Why, and What to prevent Shiny Object Syndrome works.

Given a proposed course of action, I identified how it would improve my life, and why it was important. I was also able to identify what measurement would determine success.

As an added bonus, I identified the measurement of success for the followon course of action.

The course is not a shiny object distracting me from my goals. It is a reasonable new avenue of reaching them.

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