Why would anyone hire a coach? The profession is only about 15-20 years old and people evidently got by without it prior to that. So what, really, is the benefit?
I could now cite studies about return on investment and client feedback that prove the benefits of coaching. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, you can find it on the International Coach Federation website – because coaching does bring measurable, significant change to organizations and people. Instead, I’m going to share my perspective with you.
Here are some benefits that I have seen both as a coach and as a client myself:
- A coach is an accountability partner. You know all those things you say you’re going to do and then never get around to? A coach won’t let you get away with that. I have had clients reach goals in weeks that they had been talking about reaching for years. This has nothing to do with me specifically and everything to do with the client having someone to hold them accountable.
- A coach holds up a mirror. I hear my clients say things that they do not hear themselves say. I see conflicting goals where they have not. When a client speaks, I hear goals that he hasn’t yet articulated to himself. Or when a client shares about what all she hasn’t done to reach a goal, I hear what she has accomplished. Coaches provide a “fresh set of eyes” to see what clients might not otherwise see in their own lives.
- A coach asks the questions other people won’t ask. Because a coach isn’t a friend or business partner (usually), she can ask questions that those close to the client might be afraid to ask. Or, because the coach is more removed from the situation, might ask questions others haven’t thought to ask.
- A coach focuses on the solution. Or at least a good coach does! While it may feel good to vent – and I might let someone do this for a few minutes – it does nothing for forward movement. A coach helps find a point on the horizon to move toward and allows past mistakes, issues, and problems to hold less power than they otherwise would.
More difficult to put into words is the moment each client has when they begin to see something differently. Call it an “ah ha” moment, a revelation, a light bulb turning on… whatever it is, it happens in every engagement. Making a commitment to improve never goes unrewarded.
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