Top Ten Signs To Try Coaching....

How can coaching shift you!

My first time to experience coaching was through a conversation I had with a client when I was Project Manager.  I was dealing with a rather sticky situation where the project was "blazing red" and I struggled to see clearly through.  The client and I were brainstorming what potential option(s) could be used to help us through the situation. She was using open-ended questions as we talked…

…..what I didn’t recognize was that a coach approach was being used to guide our discussion.

Fast forward to my first coaching class …… over one weekend, at a time when I was miserable - both personally and professionally. A familiarity emerged as I immersed myself in learning by being coached, coaching and coach observing. I realized I’ve seen this before…..the outcome was what coaches call the “a-ha moment” of “wow - this is transformative”. 

The word ‘coach’ is seen in many applications today - from business coach to sports coach to life coach to team coach to relationships between managers and employees. How many times have you heard someone say, “let me offer you some coaching on this topic”.  If we're lucky we are told what to do to address the topic and it's over. In other circumstances, it may come across like a lecture or a teachable moment. Many of us shut down and resort to disassociation to get to the next part of the conversation. 

I offer you a new paradigm where coaching is "partnering in a thought-provoking way and creative process that inspires a person to maximize their personal and professional potential.” (ICF)

1. Helps you achieve higher performance and improved personal satisfaction 

This is the outcome - the journey involves a holistic transformation in behavior and mindset where the crux of coaching's success lies in the readiness of the individual to be coached through deep-seated commitment to engage actively and invest time and effort into the coaching process.

2. Learn to confront and embrace discomfort

We are wired to hate change - it’s hard! Digging into areas that we want to change requires stirring of fear and emotional hurdles. So, we have no choice but to navigate these discomforts for true evolution to occur.

3. Lean into experimentation by failing fast, learning faster

Be agile, be flexible, be adaptable - great buzz words and now what? Coach is not a linear path - rather a series of trials and errors, learning and adapting. To grow, we embrace the iterative process of growth, acknowledging that failure is part of the learning curve.

4. Develop an understanding of emotional drivers

Some of us shout, some of us get very quiet, some of us shut down….all of us understand that we have emotional undercurrents. What if we took time to dive into these emotional dimensions, foster a deeper understanding of oneself and enhance interpersonal dynamics….coaching provides space for that. 

5. Embrace responsibility 

Personal responsibility? C’mon - it’s easier to pass blame to someone. Taking time to acknowledge our own power to instigate change, transform obstacles into opportunities for personal development and take ownership of where we are headed. Once again, coaching helps that too. 

6. Harness the power of forgiveness 

Forgive and forget is probably easy to say, but what are we foregoing if we keep that grudge going? The power of letting go of past grievances, shedding these burdens, and channeling energy towards constructive growth and reconciliation with oneself and others is unleashed through coaching. 

7. Develop new mindsets - Awareness

Be more vulnerable, be authentic, be <fill in the blank here> ….the new buzzwords for leadership. To truly embrace these, we have reevaluate and modify behaviors that are now potential impediments. Coaching can help develop the discipline to forsake old patterns and the resilience to withstand the ripples these changes often cause in one's ecosystem.

8. Seek knowledge and support 

We are all part of networks - family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, tribes, and on it goes. Learning to seek guidance, share goals, and receive feedback enrich our wisdom and the collective wisdom of the network. Coaching encourages us to embrace this. 

9. Trust creativity and curiosity

Childhood is grounded in imagination, creative and boundless vision setting, make-believe and curiosity. Adulthood is grounded in reality, redundancy and results. Yet, brilliant inventions and ideas are fostered when we allow ourselves to trust our creative and curious selves - coaching creates space for the exploration. 

10. Impact on all areas of life

Stuck in a rut and just spinning? No wind in your sails to propel you forward? Coaching acts a catalyst to move out of that spinning and to set sail towards new potential and opportunity. 

Final thoughts …

Embarking on a coaching journey is a decision marked by both excitement and apprehension. By assessing and cultivating these ideas, individuals can significantly enhance their coachability by unlocking the full spectrum of benefits that coaching has to offer. It's a journey of introspection, resilience, and unwavering commitment to personal and professional transformation.

In the upcoming newsletters, we’ll dive deeper into each of these reasons….join me by subscribing below! In the meantime, if you're curious on How coaching can support you, please reach out!

If you have any thoughts, questions, or insights you’d like to share, please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to go check my website if you are interested for us to partner together. You can find my instagram account here as well!