Did you play sports growing up? Or did you participate in the arts or an organized activity in some way (choir, dance, musical theatre, scouts etc.)? When you were doing these activities did you have someone or a group of people guiding you? Offering insights from what they saw, feedback, observations, or encouragement? Did that person or group of people help you improve in some way at the activity or sport that you were participating in?
I’m guessing for many people the answer is yes. So why when we get into our careers do we stop seeking this kind of support? Most of us want to excel in our careers, enjoy what we do more, find ways to work well with our co-workers (a.k.a. teammates), and move into either positions with more responsibility or positions that challenge us more to grow and learn. We need support to do this.
Coaching can offer this support. The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential, which is particularly important in today’s uncertain and complex environment.”
A coach can work with you to figure out where you are stuck and help you figure out how to move forward in the way that is best for you. A coach can observe patterns of thinking or behaviours that are keeping you stuck where you are. They can offer other possible ways of looking at situations you’ve been looking at for way too long with no forward momentum. They can help you sort through the many different thoughts or options you are working through to help you come up with the best solution for you.
Coaches make sure that you are seen, heard, and understood and everyone deserves that!
Best of all coaches are coming to the conversation with no judgement, no agenda for themselves, and they keep the conversation confidential. You can’t get that kind of support anywhere else.
Partners are great, friends are great, colleagues are great but they often come with some level of judgement or opinion, investment or agenda for themselves (even if they are trying not to), and they don’t abide by a code of ethics even if you wish they would. So as you can see coaching is for anyone looking to move forward in some part of their life, to figure out what their goals are, and work hard to achieve them. Coaching has changed my life and it could change your life too!!
Reach out to learn more.
