Why hire a coach then?

Now before I get started here's the thing .. This is about coaches. Not about trainers, consultants or mentors .. as they are all different. 

 

Let me share why, as often the 'labels' get a little muddled. 

 

A Trainer is a professional who has specific skills in a certain thing that you want to know and will explain and instruct how to do it and leaves you to get on with it once you have learnt it. Think learning to drive. 

 

A Consultant has experience or a qualification in a certain topic or specialism and is there as an advisor and problem solver. Exactly what a consultant does in the medical profession. Diagnoses the problem and helps you fix it. 

 

A Mentor has been in a similar situation to you and can share with you what course of action they took, the processes, the pitfalls, the solutions that worked for them. Think on the job training where an experienced team member works alongside but shows you how to do the skill, on an ongoing basis to ensure your competency.hen viewing the full post. 

 

A Coach is someone who will ask carefully crafted, insightful questions to encourage the coachee to come up with their own solutions. Enabling them to stretch their boundaries, change the beliefs that hold them back and take the action they need to take in the right, focused areas that the coachee chooses to work on. 

 

 

Well I think it comes down to whether you believe you can achieve what you want to achieve. I mean really do it. So a consultant or mentor can show you how to do something but actually doing it and 'putting yourself out there' is a really different thing altogether. This is where coaching can help. 

 

 

Coaching is a simple but effective form of personal development where the coach and the client create a relationship that promotes and sustains the client’s personal growth. This powerful relationship enables the client to give up who they are for who they want to become. 

 

Coaching has its roots in early psychological theories. 

 

Successful coaching works with people in their personal life, individuals in their professional life and can also work with groups of people and teams to develop their effectiveness, particularly in times of change. 

 

‘Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them’ Sir John Whitmore 

 

A coach works with a client to find out what is important to them and helps the client to use their skills to achieve this. Coaching builds skills and abilities for effective relationships – personal and professional. Coaching paves the way for more effective decision making in both the client’s personal life and to create higher levels of organisational effectiveness. 

 

Coaching can be described in many different ways. Two common descriptions are ; 

 

 

‘Life coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution focused, results orientated and systematic and enlightening process in which the coach facilitates the growth of the client in many areas of their life, both work and personal’ 

 

 

‘Corporate or business coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution focused, results orientated, systematic and enlightening process in which the specific role of the coach is to work with an employee to achieve improved business results, improved business performance and improved personal performance. 

 

 

A coach listens to the aims and dreams of the client and remaining non judgmental and non critical holds the client accountable for their life, challenging them to take control and guiding them to reach their full potential. 

 

This is different from what friends and family do because a coach has no vested interest in the client, has no emotional attachment and has no hidden agenda. 

 

A coach wants their client to succeed, but their integrity is total and their view is totally impartial enabling them to assist their client see their problems and design a way forward more clearly and be with them every step of the way. 

 

‘Coaching is eavesdropping on someone else’s thinking process. Effective coaching in the workplace holds a mirror up for the clients so they can see their own thinking process’ Timothy Gallwey 

 

The role of a coach (similarly to a personal trainer) is to work with the client to improve the quality of their life. The only thing the client needs to bring to this unique relationship is the desire and determination to improve their life. The coach will help work towards the goal, stay focussed and work with the client on the best route to achieve their desired outcomes. 

 

 

Individuals who engage in a coaching relationship can expect to experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced thinking and decision making skills, enhanced interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence in carrying out their chosen work and life roles? 

 

Consistent with a commitments to enhancing their personal effectiveness, they can also expect to see appreciable results in the areas of productivity, personal satisfaction with life and work and the achievement of personally relevant goals. 

 

Other benefits include establishing and taking action towards achieving goals, contributing more effectively to the team and organisation, taking greater responsibility and accountability for actions and commitments and improved communication. 

 

 

Coaching is NOT therapy. Whilst those of us with coaching qualifiication may well have studied at a psychological level, we should never cross that boundary to that of a therapist. 

A true coach WILL NEVER tell you what to do. 

A coach WILL NEVER disclose that you are a client. We are professionally bound by confidentiality. 

A coach does NOT have to have worked in the industry that you work in - in fact in some ways it's better if they haven't. We work with curiosity and interest and not knwoing is often a benefit. 

 

So choosing a coach then .. well this comes down to chemistry. You have to like the person you are thinking of entering into a coaching relationship with. You have to instinctively know that you can trust them and you are willing to share your 'stuff' at a deeper level with them. 

Check out how they work. Qualifications and accreditations are a badge to demonstrate they know what they are doing. Coaches will offer a time to chat, to find out more. If you get on with them, feel comfortable with them and like htem - they could well be the coach for you. 

 

Coaching my clients really is a priviledge. Something I never take for granted. Helping them through transformational change, shifting of limiting beliefs and having the success they deserve on their terms is a truly fulfilling role. 

 

If you'd like to know more please get in touch.