Confero Winter 2014: Issue 5 | Page 17

Time To Make Time to follow up with the participant is important to keep this process moving forward. I have found this information gathering for the first cut at a plan to put together can take widely different time frames. Some will get the needed information back immediately and others will not meet again for several months or longer. When they revisit the situation they all have to be reminded what is needed to start the planning. Each person is very different on this point and the important part to this working for this type of participant is consistency. A participant of this type will want to gain a feeling that you know what you are talking about, are around on a consistent basis, and will pull them along with gentle tugs. Eventually, the consistent message allows an engaged participant to know where to go when they are ready to move forward with more detailed planning. Being available until they reach this point is the key to success. =