I often get asked about my own experience of having a coach by my coaching clients, especially as in the UK coaching is still a (largely unregulated and) relatively new profession. A lot of my coach training and credentialing process was designed to enhance the professionalism of coaching as a practice with lots of different applications, and I love hearing about what the contexts in which other coaches work: from health, fitness and nutrition coaching to student and career coaching to family and divorce coaching and so on. If you want to get from where you are to reach a new place, be that in your personal health, relationships, career or life generally, chances are that there is a coach out there to support you along the way.
The question most of my new clients ask to begin with, is whether coaching is right for them. Coaching can bring many benefits, and it’s a really powerful tool for self discovery, productivity, professional development and much more, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone or every situation. Over the past 15 years I have found coaching an invaluable support in a number of situations and I wanted to share some examples which may be useful if you are considering getting a coach yourself. In general, I would say that coaching might be a good fit if you are:
- Looking for a safe or creative space to focus on an important decision or period of change;
- Feeling stuck and struggle with productivity or specific tasks;
- Ready to plan for the next stage in your career or further ahead to the next 5 years;
- Looking for someone to think (or draw) with to find solutions to problems.
Coaching through a new leadership role
I first came to coaching and mentoring when I started my first leadership role, and from the outset, the support of an external professional became helpful to me. Managing a team of people and being responsible to many stakeholders made it hard to share a lot of what was on my mind openly, and I found coaching conversations really helped me clarify my thinking.
Having someone mirror back to me what I was articulating provided a reality check when I needed it most, and helped me recognise my own needs alongside other priorities.
Coaching on tap for crisis moments
Once I had built a good relationship with my coach, we fell into a rhythm of meeting less frequently. However, I was able to schedule sessions and get in touch as and when I needed to and that gave me confidence and reassuring as a young leader. It was invaluable to be able to have support on tap for when I really needed it, in moments of crisis, and not having to confide in someone new.
Over a period of years I appreciated how much my coach was able to help to reflect and chart my own progress by referring back to previous conversations, which helped to hold me accountable to the goals I had set myself no matter how long it took to achieve them.
Coaching to mastermind a big career change
Planning a big change can be a lonely task, especially if you don’t have many people to talk about your plans with. I found it difficult to draw on my usual support network when I set out to plan a big career change, partly because I didn’t want to unsettle colleagues and partly because making a change always has a element of figuring out why the current situation no longer suits. What I really needed at that time was someone I could trust completely, who was not connected to my current institution or role.
I wanted someone to think alongside with, someone to share my hopes and fears with and someone who would not judge or advise, but hold space. The space that my coach created was crucial for me to develop a new vision for the next chapter.
If you are thinking of embarking on a coaching relationship, remember to double check the coach’s credentials and experience, and look out for someone who is a really good fit for you.
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