In this month’s Ask Me Anything, I’ve gone right back to basics. Whilst the previous Q&As have created a library of fantastic resources for anyone looking to create a career to enjoy, today I am answering a question that underpins EVERYTHING I do. This is the one question that often is the barrier to anyone taking the next step in their personal development journey.  If you are on the fence about coaching, then maybe this will help you!

 

“What Can Coaching Help Me With?”

 

Coaching is a powerful tool designed to help individuals unlock their potential and achieve their personal and professional goals.  This is something that is often misunderstood, so, let’s hand over to the International Coach Federation (ICF), with their definition that, I feel, sums it up perfectly. They explain that coaching is a process that “partners with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” It’s a client-driven approach that focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes, and managing personal change.”

 

John Whitmore, a pioneer in the field, describes coaching as ” unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” This means that coaching isn’t about giving advice or telling someone what to do; it’s about helping individuals discover the best ways to reach their own goals. Often, there is a mismatch, as there any many people using the title Coach, who are advisors or mentors.

 

To help you understand what coaching is, it’s important to distinguish it from other similar practices, that may be better suited to what you need.

 

Mentoring: Involves sharing guidance and experience.

Consulting: Provides suggestions for improvement.

Training: Focuses on teaching skills.

Therapy: Looks into the past to address psychological issues.

 

So, if you feel like that you want more of a directive experience then coaching may not be the best fit. However, it can be an amazing tool in your overall personal development toolkit.

Are you still with me? Great! Now, who tends to get the most out of their coaching experience?  Would it surprise you to learn that those who are open to trying new things and are curious tend to make significant progress when they engage in coaching?

I know that is what I witness with my clients. This is also backed by academic research into coaching, which has found that to get the most out of coaching, a coachee should possess certain qualities including:

 

Open-Minded: Willing to consider new ideas and perspectives.

Responsible: Takes ownership of their actions and progress.

Inquisitive: Curious and eager to learn more about themselves and their potential.

Self-motivated: Driven to make changes and achieve their goals.

 

So, we have taken a little, but important detour in the answer to the question “What Can Coaching Help Me With?” However, I hope you can see that it was essential to set the scene around what coaching is, and who it is ideally for before we break down the topics it can cover.

The short answer is, COACHING CAN HELP YOU WITH EVERYTHING. The approach is subject-independent, drawing out the reflection you need to answer your queries. However, I thought it would be useful to give you an overview of the type of topics that I cover with my clients:

 

Work-Life Balance

Finding harmony between your personal and professional life.

Career Decisions

Figuring out “what now” for your career.

Emotional Wellbeing & Stress Management

Developing strategies to cope with stress and emotions

Career Development Plans

Creating actionable steps for professional growth.

Developing Confidence

Building self-assurance in various aspects of life.

Productivity and Time Management

Improving efficiency and time usage.

Personality & Communication Preferences:

Understanding yourself and improving interactions with others (this is where the DISC profile shines!)

Values at Work

Aligning your job with your values for greater satisfaction.

Job Application and Interview Confidence

Preparing for and excelling in job applications and interviews, with a more mentoring approach

Transitioning Back to Work

Navigating the return to work after a break.

 

I can understand that this list may be overwhelming, so before I go, let me share with you are great tool for identifying what YOU want to work on. That tool is the Wheel of Life. I love that this tool can be adapted to any aspect of your life you want to improve. So, rather than the wheel of life, it could be Career, Confidence, Balance, Health … the list goes on. What is the same is the approach; I have broken down the steps in this blog “ How to Understand Your Coaching Needs”.

 

I hope, after reading this, you can see that coaching can help you with any area of your life, provided you are invested and willing to put in the work. By being open-minded, responsible, inquisitive, and self-motivated, you can make significant strides in your personal and professional development. Whether you’re looking to balance your life, advance your career, or improve your well-being, coaching offers a structured and supportive path to achieving your goals.

 

If this is something that you would like to take further, reach out here and we can talk about my approach.