Guess what: Hiring a coach won’t solve all your problems
Imagine: You just invested in your development by hiring a professional coach.
There, all problems solved! Puff, gone! No more situations that you don’t know how to deal with. Over are the times of hitting every potential pothole on the way to the top. Move over, mistakes! (Well, that was a short article, wasn’t it?)
Except for one small detail: umm….hello reality!?
Obviously that’s not what happens when you hire a coach. Everyone would be contacting the nearest available coach right this instant if that was the case. But -truth be told- many professionals seem to misunderstand the value that a coach can offer. Therefore, …you never hire one in the first place.
Having a certain stereotype about a profession is normal. I for one always thought lawyers could not possibly be fun to hang out with, until I happened to share apartments with not one, but two during my studies. Both ironically became great friends. I’m curious, what’s your perception of a (professional or life) coach? Spiritual, soft skill bogus? Only questions and no answers? Paying someone to do more work? Personal problem solver?
In m conversations, I often hear this excuse: You have to learn from your mistakes and bad experiences. Hiring a coach won’t solve all your problems.
That’s where you have it wrong!
Coaching is understood as partnering with coachees in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential (International Coaching Federation, 2016)
The power of coaching lies in having someone reflect with you. Someone that asks the difficult questions that you have pushed back to “later”, only to never get to the heart of it. A coach does not follow a set curriculum like a trainer, nor does she diagnose and implement solutions like a consultant. A coach manages personal change and transformation. She elicits learning and helps you develop strategies and solutions to grow and reach your full potential. (See, still need to fail to learn.)
Remember the last time you sat down with a friend or colleague for a chat and talked about a situation that was bothering you? And even though the person couldn’t really offer advice, you somehow found a first clue to your answer wile conversing? When we have to formulate our thoughts into structured sentences, and explain complex situations to outsiders, there is enormous potential for self-discovery. Finding out where you are stuck is not easy when you are deeply involved and entangled in many tasks and a web of relationships. At the same time, we deal with internal and external expectations to live up to. Whether it is the lack of a clear vision, the bigger picture, or a sense of lost potential, a coach will guide you (not tell you) to what you define as success.
5 main reasons to work with a coach
- Accountability — regular meetings that look at your thought patterns, motivation, and outcomes will hold you responsible
- Outsider perspective –identifying potential blind spots, new perspective through objective assessment and observation
- Shift of thinking- managing challenges as personal opportunities for success
- Scheduled time for reflection- because really, that’s what many of us don’t take time for.
- Breaking old habitual patterns — exploring alternative story lines and interpretations that can lead to new behaviors
In an effort to be efficient with our time and other resources, particularly while we experience stress (read, 90% of our professional life), we make life decision based on past memories, heuristics and experience. This is hardly always the best response to a never-before-seen situation. Sometimes it’s the only one we got when we need to react quickly. Moving from a reactive state to a pro-active state can take an enormous transformation. It means re-shuffling priorities, managing time differently, and having a vision (read more about creating a vision). A coach can be your anchor to make time for these important matters, and hold you accountable to accomplish them. A coach supports you in building your vision based on your strengths, helps you formulate your goals, and holds you accountable for reaching them.
So, here is what you should really be asking yourself: Why are you willing to pay for a fitness coach that helps you get in the best shape of your life, but not for a life or professional coach?
Because you can see the physical transformation. Being in better shape is visible (compliments galore!), has a huge impact (hello confidence, posture, health!), and will establish healthy routines and habits. The same is true for mental coaching. But why is it that we are not willing to make the same investment for our mind?
What has been holding you back from connecting with a coach?
A coach definitely won’t solve all your problems, that was never the intention. But the growth and development you’ll gain by working with one will surely make challenges more worthwhile having.
