When I meet someone new and introduce myself as a leadership coach, they always tend to ask, what does that mean, or what does a coach do? So I decided to write this article to answer the common question; “what is a professional coach?” and give you a chance to explore if you would benefit from having one.
The purpose of a professional coach is to help you create a life that fulfills you. Many people have touted the benefits, saying that their coaches have changed their professional and personal lives for the better. (I am absolutely one of those people! I know I would not be where I am today without a coach.)
If you’re wondering about hiring a professional coach, consider these benefits:
1. You can finally figure out what you want to be when you grow up. Whether you think you are in your ideal career or still trying to figure it out, coaches are great at getting you to define what your joyful job is. They also help you design a plan to achieve finding or maintaining your joyful job to maximize your fulfillment.
2. You’ll raise your standards. Often your challenges result from having standards that are too low. You may be too quick to settle, taking jobs that are beneath your capabilities or spending time on tasks that don’t serve you. You may even have undefined or even no boundaries allowing others to sidetrack you from achieving your goals.
A professional coach will help you overcome these challenges.
3. You’ll be held accountable. If you decide on your own to take a class to improve your skills at work and then you don’t follow through, you can tell yourself that you’ll start again tomorrow. On the other hand, a coach will keep you on task.
One reason this strategy works is that if we have someone that supports us as we make changes, we are more likely to take action.
4. Your life will become more balanced. We all tend to emphasize certain aspects of our life and fail to give others enough emphasis. A coach will help you provide adequate attention to all the areas of your life.
5. You’ll be compelled to stretch yourself. Have you ever noticed that some people never change? They’re the same today as they were ten or more years ago. Life is about learning and applying that learning to get better results. If your life is always the same, you’re either not learning or not using what you’ve learned.
Your coach will help you discover and take consistent action on the things you should be doing and want to be doing, but can’t quite get yourself to do.
6. You’ll work through your challenges with an expert to support you. Overcoming our challenges can be stressful and intimidating. Having an expert in your corner can make all the difference. Two heads really can be better than one. Sometimes all we need is a little encouragement, support, and space to find the best solutions. It can be a great way to get unstuck.
7. You’ll have someone that is just as excited by your successes as you are! Have you ever done something that fills you with pride, only to find out that your family, friends, or significant other seems less than impressed?
Having someone cheer your successes creates momentum. Momentum allows you to achieve even greater accomplishments and have more confidence while doing it.
8. You’ll solve challenges you didn’t even realize you had. Typically a coach is hired for a specific reason. But through the process of coaching, you’ll find that other issues might be just as important that you haven’t uncovered yet.
Professional coaching can be a great idea if you feel that you’re stuck and genuinely want to change. Did you recognize yourself in the points listed above? Have you been trying to change your life but been unable to? If so, a coach is likely to make a massive difference for you.
On the other hand, if your life is right where you want it, or you are not ready to take action, a coach might not be what you’re looking for.
Consider your desires and your ability to bring them about on your own. If you feel you could use some help, seeking the help of a coach might be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
If you would like to explore more, you can take this short Quiz to see if coaching is right for you.
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