What you can expect from coaching
For some of us, the only coach we’ve ever had were our high school basketball coaches. He yelled a lot. She made us do burpees until we felt sick. They pushed us beyond what we thought were our own capabilities. So, how does this image of coaching align with the personal and professional development coaching I offer? I assure you they are similar in only one regard.
You will become aware of inner resources you didn’t know you possessed.
So, if you can’t expect to be yelled at, given challenging exercises for an insane period of time, and chided for poor technique, what can you expect from the coaching I offer? Here’s a short list of what you can expect when partnering with me.
To set the agenda. When I was teaching, I began each lesson with an objective in mind. I set the agenda. This is where coaching differs from teaching. In coaching, you, as the client, will set the agenda for our sessions by establishing and sharing your goals. Some agendas with which I have helped clients include:
gaining clarity on which career path to take
managing time and resources more effectively
enhancing communication skills with colleagues
improving or hacking executive function skills
scaffolding learning content to elevate learner empowerment
becoming more emotionally resilient in the midst of overwhelm
staying motivated through a career transition or job search
creating stronger relationships with students or direct reports
While this is only a smattering of possible client agendas, it illustrates how important it is to come prepared to discuss the change you’re seeking to make.
To be seen as resourceful. You have what it takes to make the changes you seek. You may not see it or believe it, but you don’t need to be fixed. You may be encumbered by self-limiting beliefs, an outdated narrative, or some undetected resistance to change, but the resources are there. Our discussions will help you increase your self-awareness and discover what might be holding you back or getting in the way.
To be safe, supported, and seen. My role, as your coach, is to see and develop those inner resources through skillful questioning, challenge, and unconditional positive regard. My work is to create a safe, supportive space for you to create goals, identify obstacles, and develop a strategic plan to attain those goals. Along the way, I may invite you to challenge your assumptions by offering a fresh perspective. This heightened clarity and growth in self-awareness can usher in a wave of confidence in your own personal agency to consider all the possibilities and make bolder choices.
To take action and create change. The catalyst for coaching is a desire to create change. This is done by working together to raise your self-awareness and identify your choices. We may not always be able to choose what happens to us, but we always have choices when it comes to our response. Together, we will work to identify your choices for closing the gap between what you’re capable of and what you’re currently doing. Coaching can help you become aware of and stay in control of the power you possess in your own life.
To become more resilient. Resilience is the result of gaining a clearer understanding of your own inner resources. When you gain clarity about what lies within you, you develop a buoyancy that allows you to recover more quickly from setbacks and disappointments. Once you begin to free yourself from outdated narratives about your own strengths and capabilities, your ability to bounce back from failure, disappointment, or loss becomes infused with new empowerment.
In short, professional development coaching provides you the safe space and structure to create timely realistic goals, identify what might get in the way, strategize ways to overcome those obstacles, and generate actionable, sustainable change.
No running required.
