As a professional executive coach, you may expect me to say that coaching and having a coach is always a good idea. But the truth is, coaching is not for everyone and sometimes it can be the wrong thing to turn to if you need support.
Counselling and mentoring are alternative personal support services that may prove more effective and useful for you, depending on your individual circumstances and situation. To find out more about these services and how they’re different to coaching, read my article ‘Is coaching the same thing as counselling or mentoring?’
Coaching is also not a good idea for you if you’re not ready or motivated to change or aren’t open to new ways of thinking. Like any activity that is focused on the mind, it will only be effective if you trust it can work and understand that achieving meaningful results may require you to look at things very differently.
Coaching is also unlikely to work for you if you don’t have a trusting relationship with your coach. You need to be able to be open and honest with them and know that their approach, skills, and style perfectly match what you need. Without this, it’s unlikely you’ll make any real progress or achieve the results you want.
But – despite the above caveats – coaching has been independently proven time and again to work brilliantly for many people.
This includes individuals who were initially sceptical about it, including Eric Schmidt (the former CEO of Google and chairman of parent company Alphabet) who told Fortune magazine that “everyone needs a coach” after resisting hiring one for many years.
The reason why Schmidt – along with other business leaders and celebrities including Steve Jobs (founder of Apple), Roger Enrico (former CEO of Pepsi), chat show supremo Oprah Winfrey, former US President Bill Clinton, tennis legend Serena Williams, and even pop star Justin Bieber – trusted coaching is because when the relationship is right, and their coach has the right skills and experience, it can have a life-changing impact.
Below are just some of the ways that coaching has been proven to work:
Self-confidence
Effective coaching that is focused on you as an individual rather than on your business (business coaching) can significantly boost your self-confidence, often opening your eyes to your unique talents and abilities. Many people suffer from low confidence and have a crippling lack of belief in themselves; the right coach can help you overcome this and see things as they really are.
Direction
A coach with the right skills and experience can help you see and map a pathway through any difficulties or challenges facing you now or in the future and can help you develop a sense of direction and purpose. This of course doesn’t just mean in the workplace, but also outside of work in your private life. A lack of direction is a common problem that many people experience but it can be eliminated with the right expert help.
Overcome procrastination / feeling stuck
Many people also suffer from a lack of motivation and a feeling that they are stuck in their current situation. The best coaches will be able to help you overcome this and understand the underlying feelings of procrastination that are stopping you achieving the things you want from life. Often a cycle of negativity prevents you from taking action, but this can be overcome with the right support.
Clarify goals
A coach can work with you to clarify your goals, in the short term and beyond. Your goals could be professional or personal (or both) and can include achieving success at work, gaining a better work-life balance, or anything else in-between. Often individuals fail to clarify their goals, resulting in them never achieving the things that are truly important to them. Coaching can redress this by focusing in on the things that are most important to you.
Removes self-limiting / self-sabotaging thoughts
Most people have self-limiting beliefs about themselves that sabotage their ability to reach their full potential or achieve the things they want to. An experienced coach will help you identify these thoughts and will work with you to eliminate them from your mind, enabling you to confidently achieve everything you want at work or at home. Self-limiting / self-sabotaging thoughts include not believing you’re capable of becoming who you aspire to be or believing you lack the talents and skills to achieve the success you dream about.
Creates new positive neural networks
Scientific research has revealed that the right coaching can lead to clients developing new positive neural networks in their brain that replaces their negative thought processes and enables them to be more creative and deal with stress easier.
A small number of coaches like me are trained in neuroscience (I was the first person in the world to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in the Neuroscience of Leadership) and are experts in how the mind works. This allows us to powerfully help you create an outlook and mindset that enables you to reach your full potential.
A word of warning
Achieving all or some of the above benefits of coaching depends greatly on your personal objectives and the type of coach you choose to use. As I explained in the article ‘What is coaching and what are the different types available?’, it is important you select the right coach for you who has exactly the right level of skills and experience you need. Not all coaches are the same, and many people set themselves up as a coach without having had any training or gaining any industry recognised accreditations or qualifications.
Look for a coach who has a proven history of success and is an expert in the area you want support with.
Conclusion
Coaching works when you and your coach are a perfect match and you’re open and motivated to succeed. However, as with any service, it’s hugely important you find the right coach for you who understands the challenges or difficulties you face and has a track record of success, along with the appropriate training and experience.
