You don’t have to be at the end of your tether for coaching to make a massive impact. After over ten years of running The Balance Collective, I still encounter a range of misconceptions about coaching. One is that coaching is a plaster for a problem. A salve to solve your career issues. The reality is, it’s so much more than that. This week, I want to remind you that coaching is for more than when you are miserable in your job.
I’ve been coached, on and off, for over 13 years. I was never miserable in my job! My coaching themes were returning to work after my last maternity leave, starting my business, developing it in a new direction and confidence!
I’ve been coaching for over a decade. Over those hundreds of coaching hours, the reasons people attend vary. Many want coaching to help them move toward where they want to be. They may feel too comfortable or expect that a life transition will need extra support. They may know it’s time to take control of their balance goals. They want accountability beyond their friends, family, or workplace.
Typically, the type of people I coach are:
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- Parents returning from maternity, paternity or adoption leave
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- Individuals resuming work after bereavement, illness, or sabbaticals
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- People at any stage of their career seeking better work-life balance and/or increased confidence
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- Those seeking new roles, including internal promotions or due to redundancy
As I’ve mentioned before, it can be for you at any life stage. It’s about personal development, growth, taking ownership, or supporting a time of transition.
What is common across all is that if they didn’t work with me, things would be “OK”. But they knew they wanted to do things differently.
There may be times when the coaching process begins to uncover alternatives that are hidden by the relentless need to firefight and just get through the day.
Can I tell you a quick secret? Sometimes people come to me, and we don’t talk about the career! I know, me a Career Coach! Not always talking about work and skills!
But we talk about how their career leads to the life they want. They want a better balance, clearer public boundaries, and the energy to engage with their hobbies or the confidence to communicate their concerns about the mental load.
Some wanted me to be a more coaching-focused mentor to help them understand their identity as new parents or to help them craft the career they deserve now that their youngest child has “flown the nest”.
Nothing beats working with a client who takes action on their needs. Sometimes, the process helps them see that they already have a career to enjoy, and now they have the tools to maintain it rather than hope it all falls into place.
Now, there is no doubt, as many of my clients have experienced, that career coaching can help you move into a role that you enjoy; one that meets what your version of success is. But you don’t need anything that needs “fixing” to give yourself permission to work with a coach.
You just need to be open-minded, responsible, inquisitive and self-motivated!
The cost can feel limiting; I offer a sliding-scale pricing option. But I want to remind you that it can be something your employer can and will fund. Here is some advice on how to make your business case for coaching!
Now, I would like to speak with the managers briefly, if I may.
You may think that offering coaching to your staff could be seen as a criticism. I want to reassure you that once you understand and believe that coaching is supportive, not corrective, you can demonstrate the same to your staff. That is about supporting your team through changes in their lives, from returning to work after a break to a promotion to a culture change following a company buyout. Once you realise that a coach is a critical part of your staff’s wellbeing toolkit, it becomes clearer.
So, now you know a little more about the different ways coaching can support you or your team, it’s time to reach out and find out how THIS coach can help! Feel free to book a time for us to speak, or learn more on my website. You may have noticed the other relevant articles sprinkled across the past 700-plus words. Still, you can also find other useful ones, below:
How to understand your coaching needs
What happens during a coaching session
What is the difference between return to work and career coaching
How employers can better support working parents
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
