When?
3Lunches is for when you can’t think outside of the box, when you’ve used up all your big ideas. You’ve lost your job and you need some new strategies. You’re going through a divorce and need advice. You have unruly teenagers. You need a style make-over. You want a relationship. You’re stuck and need some inspiration or you’re paralyzed by fear or indecision. The process of sitting down with your friend-coach will help generate the energy and ideas needed to get you moving forward.

What does 3Lunches look like?
If you need help with a problem, ask someone to coach you over lunch. You run your issues by your friend-coach, write down their insights and suggestions and then go do the work. When you’ve made some progress, you plan your second lunch, do the same, and then on to the third lunch. The entire process is limited to three lunches–three short, focused coaching sessions.

 

Why 3Lunches?
In today’s society, there appears to be a “hands off” protocol when friends or associates are in trouble; either no one wants to get involved or there isn’t a clear format to facilitate involvement. We’ve become accustomed to going to outside professionals like therapists, counselors or life coaches for insight, but a different option is to reach out to the people in our lives who know us and who are invested in us. And who can afford a therapist or a life coach right now?

 

We think that interdependence is a good thing and in this economy, it’s a necessary thing. The world has changed around us, many of us are confused. Jobs are disappearing, 401Ks shrinking, and we need to adapt quickly to these changing circumstances to stay afloat.

 

There are people in your life who know things you don’t know. Either they are more experienced in the area where you’re having an issue or they are further along in the process in your problem area. All the help you need is in your life; you just need to reach out and ask for assistance.

 

Watching the greed and selfishness that brought about this economic crisis is chilling. Let’s turn it around and help one another through these tough times. Let’s build a cohesive, strong connection between one another.

 

This is a practice of sustainability. We can all take care of our ourselves…with a bit of help.

 

How?
You look for someone in your life that has more experience in the area where you’re having trouble. Let’s say you’ve lost your job and you can’t find another one. Find someone who has a dynamic career and ask them to do 3Lunches with you. Tell them what’s going on in your life and ask for suggestions. You’ll get them. Most people like to share their knowledge when asked.

 

This isn’t mentoring. You aren’t asking your coach to take you under their wing, you’re asking for advice on how to get employment. This could mean that your coach will tell you to rewrite your resume, look for a job in a different employment sector, go back to school etc. You are asking your coach to share their experience with you…and to teach you what worked for them.

 

Who?
Choose someone who knows more than you do. It’s that simple. It could be a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member or a friend of a friend. Look for someone who can help you connect the dots to get where you want to go.

Want to start a business? Get coached by a successful business owner. Want to become a graphic artist? Find one or anyone who works in the advertising world. Contemplating a divorce? Find a coach who has gone through the process. Look for someone you admire and respect.

 

Are There Rules?
Easy ones just to make the experience comfortable. Don’t contact your coach outside of the lunch format. If you’re friends, you can continue being friends, of course, but don’t talk about the work outside of your lunches. Just keep to the 3Lunches exchange for the coaching process.

 

Be specific about the issues you need coaching on. Follow your coach’s advice. End the coaching relationship after the third lunch. And pay for lunch. More details are included in the Table Manners section of this blog.