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Using a Coach

Written by: Chris Dawson

Article Overview: Professional coaches aren’t just a perk for executives or athletes. Anyone with a strong personal commitment to achieving results can benefit from working with a coach.

Using a Coach

Here’s a question I’ve asked and been asked: How do you know when to use a professional coach? Many people seem to believe working with a coach is an elite benefit arranged by Human Resources for highly paid executives in big budget organizations or it’s a last ditch effort for employees before they are fired. Is this the extent of a coach’s usefulness?

The answer is professional coaches aren’t just a perk for high level executives, celebrities or those on the brink of unemployment. The greater value of a coach is as a resource in individual development. Anyone with a particular goal in mind, a strong personal commitment to achieving results and the ability to actively take steps towards achieving that goal can benefit from working with a coach. Being in a small business or an entrepreneur is no reason to dismiss the idea of having your own coach. If the industry you are in, the size of your organization and life span of your company aren’t a consideration for using a coach, what is? You can boil it down to two things: your need and you.

Start by evaluating your need against what a coach is equipped to help with. If you need someone to give you specific answers or actually do the work you’re probably better off with a good consultant. Suppose your need is building a particular skill or improving at a certain task. Here you may consider a trained facilitator, instructional designer or someone with proficiency in the task or skill in question.

This can be confusing because lots of people are leaving the ranks of corporate America and parlaying their experience into a career as a “coach” when what they are offering is their know how within a particular business. We often associate a coach with training because of the way the term is used in athletics, where the coach may actually be teaching a skill like hitting or fielding a baseball.

At this point, it’s worth understanding what a coach can help with. A professional coach isn’t going to tell you or teach you to do something, though hopefully you will learn throughout the relationship. A coach is going to help you build insight about how to accomplish your objective. He does not need to be an educator, but does need to be a motivator. A good coach doesn’t need industry specific knowledge, but does need coaching skills.

If your need includes getting clarity on the desired outcome, understanding the impact of your behaviors, assumptions or beliefs on success, helping to create a plan of action, and monitoring progress then a coach is a possibility for you. In summary, when you need help to build your own insight, stay motivated and provide objective support and guidance then its time to consider a coach.

Once you know the situation is appropriate you have to determine if you are ready to work with a coach. This is more then making the decision to hire a coach, though that is a part of it. This step is really about determining your commitment to the process of gaining insight. You have consider how equipped you are to be coached.

Remember your coach isn’t going to hand you the answers he is going to challenge you and prepare you to deal with the next difficult situation. The process won’t always be easy but, if you are set to do the work, it can yield remarkable results.

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Article Tags: baseball, brink, celebrities, corporate america, elite, entrepreneur, extent, goal in mind, human resources, individual development, instructional designer, last ditch effort, level executives, life span, personal commitment, professional coach, professional coaches, proficiency, small business, unemployment



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Re: Want to be a published author? - Thanks for sharing some options out there for us, Ladies! I'm one of those people who have a number of books in the works, but haven't quite finished them yet... I think I need to bring this up with my own Coach, but that's another story! *LOL* Anyhow, it's nice to know what I can do about it all when I'm ready. Shri, I'll keep you in mind when the time comes! Thanks again, Tami
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Greetings From Destiny's Door - Hi Everyone, Thanks for the invitation to introduce myself. I'm looking forward to being part of the discussions here. I called my business "Destiny’s Door Coaching" because I believe you already have everything it takes to create the business of your dreams. The door to your destiny stands always open. The choice is up to you. I work with Business Women and Entrepreneurs who want to create a life and business that matches their true potential, while still allowing them time to do the things they love most. I support them as they discover how to work smarter and not harder. I coach because I am passionate about seeing women achieve amazing things when they fully accept their own greatness. Business really gives women a great opportunity to express their passions and purpose in a way that also brings financial rewards. I believe you are highly important as the foundation of your business. As you grow and unleash your true potential, you enable your business to do the same. In fact, I'm doing that personally through my own business. I coach women and write articles inviting women to step into greater personal success. As a Certified Life Coach with a Degree in ministry, this is a perfect fit for me. On a personal level, I believe in living fully alive and making the most of every moment. I even have my own Coach! Of course, life is always a work in progress, but I keep moving forward. I do this happily in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of B.C. with my husband and two feline companions. Anyhow, I look forward to meeting you through the forum where we can challenge and inspire each other to really grow towards our full potential. Let’s really commit to creating the businesses of our dreams. I’ll meet you at Destiny’s Door! Warmly, Tami


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