Even Champions Need Coaches
Many of the world’s top performers have one thing in common – they have a coach. You can too and at very affordable rates. In fact, your first three sessions (telephone or email) are free to allow you time to determine if our coaching delivers value. Having a coach is like having a personal trainer. No one needs a personal trainer to achieve their fitness goals, but many of us know from experience that having a trainer helps us achieve our fitness goals much faster and with more confidence than without one. We were guided and motivated to exercise, achieve our goals, and held accountable to our fitness routines. The benefits of having a coach are similar. Coaching is a relationship and a process based on focus and commitment.
Here are five benefits of having a professional coach:
A Professional Confidante Has Your Best Interests in Mind
With a professional coach, you will have someone who is experienced and non-judgmental in your corner. They are your sounding board and will provide advice if that is what you want. A coach is great as they solely have your best interest in mind, whereas your colleague or manager often has their own agenda within the business relationship. For example, your manager will provide you with feedback at your performance review and hopefully throughout the year, but this feedback is often focused on improving your performance as it relates to the organization’s goals rather than your personal or professional goals. During a coaching session, you will have continuous one-to-one attention from your coach who is committed to your success, the sessions and coaching relationship will be all about you.
A Coach Sees and Believes in Your Potential
A coach does not know your weaknesses and limitations – unless you share them, of course. A coach sees and believes in your potential. A coach will help you to shift your thinking, so you can envision yourself in the future doing what you want to do and being who you want to be. Some people have a lack of confidence or fear failure as a barrier to reaching their potential. A coach will ask guided questions to understand the source of your lack of confidence and will give you strategies to either reframe your thinking or to build confidence. If your vision is to be a confident leader in your organization, coaching will help you to envision the future you and work with you to create the plan to get there. If you are already at or near your top potential and want to stay there, your coach can help with that as well.
A Coach Will Help you to Expand your Thinking
A coach will work with you to reframe your attitude and expand your thinking. Most of the challenges we face each day are based on the limitations and fears we place on ourselves. With coaching there will be many questions and sometimes some tough questions to really delve into the reasons for your fears – understanding where your fears and limitations come from is key to overcoming them. A coach will help you to get out of your own way!
A Coach Will Help You to Go Around, Go Through, or Go Over Obstacles That Limit your Success
Many challenges we face each day in our personal or work life are due to factors beyond our control. For example, if your workplace goes through a restructuring many of your colleagues may lose their job, you may have additional responsibilities, you may a new manager and you may have guilt or fear related to the restructuring. Have you ever come out of a meeting and wished that you had said or done something differently – maybe participated more or said less. This type of reflection and self-awareness is excellent, but it also creates self-doubt. Coaching will help you to reframe your thinking and self-awareness to come from a positive position. It will also help you to clarify your challenges and will guide you in how to overcome the challenge or negative self-talk and be able to move forward.
A Coach Will Hold You Accountable to Your Plan and Goals
A coach will provide you with support and help you have the tools, resources, and way of thinking to achieve your goals. Part of this support will be in the form of holding you accountable. This is a part of coaching that many people do not like – they want to achieve their goals but do not want to be held accountable. I have heard “I do not want a coach because I do not want anyone telling me what to do.”. This would be true for most people, as professionals many do not want to be told what to do – but we do want someone to support and encourage us to reach our goals. A coach is this accountability partner. This accountability may be in the form of homework assignments or targeted reflections and motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. At each coaching session, your coach will ask you for an update on your progress towards your goals. It can be easy to make excuses as to why you did not stick to the plan. Your coach will help you move from giving excuses as to why objectives were not achieved to one of taking accountability for what was achieved and adjusting the plan to ensure success.
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