Why should I hire a coach?
I often come across people who are stressed, overwhelmed, all
in a spin, who want to make changes to
develop or improve some area of their life. Of course as I am a coach I speak
to them about coaching and how it can help make the changes needed.
The response can be “I don’t need a coach, I know what I
should be doing” To which I would say, “if
you know what you should be doing, then why aren’t you?” Of course there are a myriad of reasons that
people are not doing what they know they could do to get them to their goals.
One of the principal things a coach will offer is
accountability. When you agree a plan of action with your coach, they will, on
your following contact, ask you if you have completed your actions. It’s a bit like having your own personal line
manager. Can you imagine explaining to
your manager (current or previous) that you haven’t completed an agreed action
because you couldn’t be bothered, other things took priority or you just didn’t
make the time. It would be pretty unthinkable in my book, and I would feel very
uncomfortable in that situation.
We often set ourselves tasks which are never finished, or
even started in some cases. This is a bit like breaking a promise to
yourself. My clients complete the
actions they set themselves purely because they know I will ask how they are
getting on. We have also already established that they are motivated to do
them. They know I will hold them accountable for tasks which they have set themselves. Taking action is the only way to complete your goals.
At the beginning of our working relationship it is made very
clear that my clients are responsible for taking action themselves. However,
having my support to take action makes life so much easier for my clients that
they are able to achieve positive results much quicker than they would have
otherwise.
There are many other ways in which a coach can help you get out of your own way and make those changes - but more of that next time
Caroline Love
