“Who does she think she is with her coach?! #Notions”

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Often, when I’m talking to people about what I do at Coaching by SMK, they admit that they have thought about hiring a coach but are concerned about what those around them will think. Today, I want to address this issue, I say, forget the naysayers! You know why? The most successful people at the top of any industry in the world have coaches. So, if you’re serious about your success, why shouldn’t you have one too?

Athletes, musicians, professionals, anyone who wants to get to the top of their game invests in a coaching practice for the simple reason that coaching works. It improves their chances of getting to the top and staying there. While we have all heard of child prodigies, those rare individuals who are born with buckets of talent, they are the exception to the rule. Most of us have to work to get to the top – and that’s ok because it means that with hard work, we can achieve our loftiest goals.

It’s Ok to Ask for Help

While the concept of coaching has been accepted in the United States for many years, at home in Ireland, we’re still getting used to the idea. You’ll still find people ready to judge, but coaching is growing here, people are becoming more accustomed to the idea of working with a coach to help achieve their desired results. Just a few years ago, it was taboo to admit that you were attending counselling, but now, thankfully, we accept that it’s a strong move to do so.

Why are we so far behind the US in accepting that investing in help is good for us? Coaching is proven to work, anyone who invests in the process sees results.

Yes, there are still people who make assumptions about someone who works with a coach. But I think that anyone who has a coach is engaged. They show that they’ve got a growth mindset and are prepared to put in the work to get the results they desire in life.

The Coaching Process

There is a model that I use in coaching called G-R-O-W. We look at your goals, your current reality, the opportunities available to you and the way forward. I particularly like this model as it shows those who are new to coaching that the process need not be a complicated one. With these four letters, we get a picture of where you are, where you want to get to and set out a roadmap for how you can get there.

Although the above might seem simplistic, the process can be challenging as you come up against barriers to your success which may have been standing in your way for years. The necessity of a coach comes in when you are faced with an obstacle that has gotten the better of you many times before. It’s easy to back down in that situation. With a coach by your side, you can be challenged to look at the situation differently, take new approaches and find alternative paths that may never have occurred to you.

The Benefits of Business and Personal Coaching

So, what can you expect to gain from this challenging process?

The benefits that my clients note most often are:

  • Financial – increased growth & performance within your business or career.
  • Time – more quality time to spend with family and friends or doing the things you love.
  • Personal Growth – setting yourself challenges and succeeding at them gives you a great sense of achievement. It also helps you see that you’re capable of more than you might think.
  • Headspace – feel less stressed all the time which allows space to think about what you want to do instead of reacting to life.

Coaching is a solution that touches on every part of your life that you want it to. It doesn’t need to be specifically about business, you are a whole person and so your coaching should address you as such. So, whether you want to run a 5-minute mile, secure a promotion, increase your company’s turnover, or spend more quality time with your children, coaching can help you to achieve your goal – and feel better in yourself as you do so.

The fit is very important when it comes to working with a coach. There are many different types of coach, some are exclusively personal coaches, others focus solely on business. Then there are some like me, who work on business and personal life because they impact on each other. Each coach also has a unique style or approach. So, with that in mind here are…

5 Tips to Help You Find the Right Coach

  1. Consider what you hope to achieve by working with a coach.

Once you’re clear on this it will be easier to explain this to any prospective coach and see how they can help you.

  1. Check out their qualifications and background.

If you are going to invest in the process of coaching, you want to be sure that your time and money are invested in someone who knows what they are doing. Feel free to ask them about their training and any organisations that they’re affiliated with. Also, don’t be shy about enquiring about their experience. It might be important to you that your coach has specific experience in a particular area, a good coach will appreciate you taking the time to ask these questions.

  1. Meet or talk to them to see if your personalities work well together and to get a flavour of their approach.

We’re all different. You may find an excellent coach who has amazing results behind them but who just doesn’t sit right with you. Follow your gut and find someone who has a personality that you can see yourself working with for six months to a year. When you get the match right, you won’t have to go through this again so it’s worth taking the time to find the right person.

  1. When you talk, do they ask questions that make you stop and think? Do you feel challenged by them?

A good coach will feel like someone you can confide in, but that doesn’t mean that they need to be your best buddy. They are here to do a job and help you reach new heights. To do that they are going to have to push your boundaries and hold you accountable. Look for a sense of this during your initial consultation.

  1. Ask how they can help you.

Be up-front and ask your prospective coach if they can help you achieve your goals and how. While you don’t want to put them on the spot, they should be able to give you an idea of the approach they plan to take to help you get to where you want to be. If you are setting goals, you need to also plan how you will get there – this is the part where your coach should guide you.

After your initial consultation you will probably know in your heart if you’ve found the right coach for you. If not, do some more searching, the right coach for you is out there, you just have to find them.

I offer all prospective clients a 30-minute discovery call which allows you to ask me any questions you have about coaching, my approach and how I can help you. You can book your session here.

If you are one of those people who has been putting off investing in yourself and your own success because of what other people might think, it’s time to set that aside. Will you allow their comments to come between you and your most important dreams? I didn’t think so. They’re not worth it, but you are.

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