If you are asking the above questions to yourself, read on…
We all reach stages in life when we are looking for better jobs, better relationships, or a deeper meaning to life. Who do we reach out to in such situations? Friends, family, mentors, guides? While all these are good options, they might not be neutral or qualified to help you in a professional manner.
Many successful leaders, entrepreneurs, sportspersons, celebrities, and self-fulfilled individuals reach out to professional coaches to help them in their journey of self-realization and growth.
Who is a Coach?
A Coach is someone who partners with people to fully realize and maximize their potential. The coach helps the ‘coachee’ (person being coached) to discover his/her own insights and solutions, while supporting increased productivity, creativity, and effectiveness. The coaching approach is more about asking powerful questions to lead to solutions, rather than decide actions for the coachee.
What is the coaching process?
A positive mindset – Several studies have shown that people tend to achieve the most when they are in a positive frame of mind. The first task of a Coach is to support the coachee to move into a positive state of mind to encourage the creative process of problem solving.
The vision – Another important step is to support the coachee to draw up a vision of their ideal self or most fulfilling state in the future. The Coach does this through the process of ‘powerful questioning’.
The reality – Coaching is also about encouraging self-awareness. Unlike, in a corporate, the coach-coachee space is a safe area to reflect on strengths and areas of development. This helps in identifying the gap between the ‘ideal self’ and the ‘real self’ for the coachee.
Action Plan – The next step is to help chart out an action plan – an agenda which is achievable as well as exciting for the coachee.
Sustaining Change – Any change needs to be sustained over time to show results. A good coach would ensure that the momentum to change continues, eventually leading to Growth.