Why Have a Coach?

‘Coaching’ gets a bad press. Most people don’t really know what it IS, what it means to ‘have a coach’ or to ‘be coached’, but the fact is nearly all successful people – really successful people – in business, sport and entertainment have ‘coaches’, often multiple coaches.

But people who ‘get by’, perhaps even ‘do well’ but never quite achieve what they really want, don’t believe they need someone to help and guide them. They think they can do it by themselves and having ‘coaching’ is some measure of ‘failure’.

What IS ‘coaching’? It’s generally covers a multitude of roles or functions, although in itself it has a very specific purpose. It ‘includes’, as a general term, counselling, therapy, consulting, mentoring, tutoring, training, teaching and so on, these roles often being misdescribed as ‘coaching’.

Sometimes it’s split up into personal, business, wellness, fitness, development or ‘life’ coaching usually in an attempt to define where different ‘coaches’ focus their attention. For now, let’s treat ‘coaching’ as ‘all of the above’!

What’s in it for you? Why ‘bother’ with a coach?

There’s a financial investment, but having a coach, being coached, means you need to devote noticeable time and effort to the experience if you’re going to gain the full benefit. Engaging with a coach entails a commitment on both sides. It’s not just about when you’re working together.

There are three key benefits.

Clarity
A coach looking ‘in’ from the outside gives you a professional perspective on yourself or your business it’s not possible for you to achieve alone. You get clear on your values, strengths and weaknesses, but most of all about your ‘cause’, your ‘why’ or purpose driving who you want to be, what you want to do and ‘have’. Coaching enhances self-awareness, confidence, and resilience. You’ll get to know yourself and/or you business far better than you ever could working alone.

Efficiency
Coaching helps you (and your business) improve performance in whatever aspects you need such as leadership, productivity, communication, or decision-making. You’ll overcome limiting beliefs, blocks and restrictions you might not know you have which are holding you back. You’ll discover new ways of doing and organising things allowing you more ‘space’ for yourself.

Results
You get impartial support and accountability, ensuring you stay committed to your goals, purpose and cause. Regular inspiration and constructive feedback keep you on track to achieve what you want to be, do and have.

Coaching will save you time, save you from ‘mistakes’ (often the coach has made the mistakes and can help you avoid them), and from stress and anxiety (they’ve experienced it, so you don’t have to). Coaches empower you to make more money (much more than you invest in them) and will guide you to freedom in whatever context it may be for you. Coaches will do all they can to facilitate your living the life you would love to live – or something better.

How do you select a coach?

A good coach will have

Life experience (at least four decades) and/or specific experience in your field – sport, business etc. but not necessarily in the same specific ‘discipline’.

Coaching skills – which will become apparent at a ‘discovery’ meeting. Having a ‘certificate’ doesn’t mean they are a good coach!

An open mind and willingness to listen to you and hear about your issues without prejudice. The ability to adapt to your needs rather than impose some ‘structured coaching programme’.

And more which, as someone with over 5 decades of coaching experience, I can discuss with you on a call.