Turning Three 'I Don't Knows' into Trust! How Can a New Consultant Clear the Fog of the Heart with a Magic Compass?
To you, who hold both expectations and anxieties about your new role
I want to protect the smiles of children. To you, who knocked on a new door with such straightforward feelings, let me tell you today about a small flower that blooms in my heart.
I truly wanted to work directly with children and watch over their growth up close. Yet, the role I was assigned was the 'Parent Consultation Desk,' something I never expected. I have no experience, and I don't know the right answers. Are you feeling the loneliness of standing alone in such a place, as if being blown by a cold wind?
When I was a company employee long ago, I was transferred to a completely different department and had nights where I was crushed by my own helplessness. Even sitting at my desk, it felt like there was a gaping hole where my place should be, and I felt the loneliness of wondering if I was needed by anyone. But now I understand. That blank canvas of 'I don't know' from back then was the essential soil that shaped who I am today.
You might be standing in the fog right now, just as I once was. However, beyond that fog, a 'shining future' that you don't know yet, but which definitely exists, is waiting for you. I would be happy if this article could become a gentle guidebook that lights a small flame in your heart.
1. Obtaining the 'Compass' that serves as the foundation for everything
When sailing a dark sea, a sailor looks up at the stars. In a place like consultation work, where fierce waves sometimes crash, what protects and guides you is not technique, but a 'compass'.
It is the light called 'philosophy'—the reason why our organization exists.
1.1 Why 'What we aim for' is more important than a manual
Consultations from parents change moment by moment like the seasonal sky, and no two are ever the same. Even if you flip through a thick manual, the answer is written nowhere. At such times, what supports you is not knowledge, but the axis of your 'feelings'.
If you have the axis of a philosophy, no matter how strong the wind blows, your heart will bend flexibly and will not break. It is not a rule to force yourself into a mold, but wings to set yourself free.
1.2 Converting our 'value of existence' into concrete words
For example, the philosophy of 'alleviating the burden on parents even a little.' That is not simply teaching them procedures. It resides in a single word of care, such as, 'Mother, do you think you can sleep a little better tonight?' How warmly that one word embraces the heart of someone who was trembling in the loneliness of child-rearing. By passing through the filter of philosophy, your words will come to have a magical, healing power.
Concrete methods to turn your 'I don't know' into your strongest weapon
From here on, I will share the concrete way to draw a 'map of the heart' that I found while studying psychology and rebuilding my own heart.
There is no need to be ashamed of having no experience. Rather, the scenery that only you can see right now will become a treasure for the organization.
2. Cultivating your own 'magic question template'
To grasp the 'true wish' behind a parent's words, there are three steps I hold dear.
Accepting 'facts' as they are First, write down the words the other person said exactly as they are in your notebook. Without mixing in emotions, record only the facts, as if you were looking at a 'flower blooming there'.
Trying to pass it through the 'filter of philosophy' Regarding that fact, ask yourself, 'Based on our philosophy, what does this person need most right now?' Before looking for a solution, look for the place where you should offer support.
Share your 'I don't knows' When you feel overwhelmed trying to find the answers yourself, show that list to your senior. Your words, 'I didn't understand this part,' are the greatest gift you can give to help your team notice their blind spots.
3. A Mindset to Turn Failure into 'Seeds of Growth'
If you feel you have failed during an interaction, please do not blame yourself. Just as clouds in the sky change their shape, failure is merely a process for creating a new you.
What is important is not 'being perfect' but 'being sincere.' The way you earnestly try to understand the other person, even if you are clumsy, is what provides the greatest sense of security for parents.
Summary: Take a Step That Is Uniquely Yours with Confidence
Your feeling of 'not knowing' is by no means a void. It is a rich, fertile soil meant to catch the blessed rain that is the true wishes of a family.
Right now, it may only be a small sprout. However, if you continue to bathe in the light of your philosophy and water it with daily experience, one day, a beautiful flower that only you can bloom will surely blossom at your counseling desk.
That day is much closer than you imagine.
Just as there was a day you were saved by someone's words, I hope my words today will become a light that brightens your tomorrow just a little.
If this article reached your heart, I feel like a small flower will bloom in my heart too if you give it a 'like' or follow.
Let's meet again in this quiet place.
#ChildcareWorker #NewLeader #CounselingWork #Psychology #SelfEsteem