What is coaching?
When Usain Bolt became the fastest man on earth, who was on the sideline cheering him on? His coach.
When the Richmond became the 2019 AFL Premiers, who assisted the team in planning their strategies and pointing out areas for improvement? Their coaches.
In the sporting world, utilising a coach to enhance your performance goes back to the ancient Games in Olympia. Now, coaching has spread to the business and everyday world to assist anyone – leader or mother, healthcare worker or disability advocate – anyone who wants to proactively instigate change.
“Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.”
Oprah Winfrey, a lifelong user of coaches.
My coaching is underpinned by my passion for teaching others to help themselves.
By shining a light on each of my client’s perspectives of their daily environment, relationships and themselves, their own wisdom becomes evident. Add to this a level of accountability in helping clients to design their own personalised plan and execute it.
This is not a feel-good exercise with no application in the real world. I’m here to set you up with skills for life. My coaching supports people to achieve growth and long-term positive change.
I liken my coaching style as something like this:
“… (a coach is) part advisor, part sounding board,
part cheerleader, part manager and part strategist”
The Business Journal
I’ll be your partner, a trusted confidante, and an accountability buddy to help you achieve what’s important to you.
Isn’t coaching just a fancy name for counselling?
Generally speaking, counselling involves one person listening to another about their past to help them understand why a situation arose and what they can do about it.
Coaching on the other hand, is future focused.
Coaching is a partnership between two people, that looks at the present and guides you to design the future that you want by asking “What do you want, and how can we build skills to get there?”
Dr Anthony Grant, Coaching Psychologist, summarises this difference succinctly:
“Therapy is essentially about helping people with broken legs walk again.
Coaching is really about helping people run the four-minute mile.”
— Dr Anthony Grant, Coaching Psychologist and Researcher at the University of Sydney
Coaching will provide you with the tools to be the best version of yourself now and in the future.
But what will coaching do for me or my team?
People are always more likely to do something if they own it.
You will have seen this at work when your boss asks and accepts your opinion on what course of action to take.
A successful coaching relationship empowers you to develop your own solutions to the personal challenges you face – so you’re more likely to embrace them. The role of the coach is to give you tools to do that and then guide you step-by-step to achieve it.
“Coaching helps you to take responsibility for your life;
let go of what others think and become your true self.
It’s about you creating the life you want – and deserve.”
– Emma-Louise Elsey, Life Coach and member of the International Coach Federation.
Many of us, occasionally or frequently, feel overwhelmed and overworked; as though we’re running up hill all the time. Rather than battling through this alone, a coach will help you flatten the hill with ideas and concepts that will help you move through the world with greater ease and grace.
“A coach will do for your work and your life, what a personal trainer does for your body.”
Libby O’Lachlan
Our life is based on relationships, and whether we choose it or not, at some point we all take on a leadership role. Whether that’s a formal role like being a manager at work or a coordinator at your local sporting club, or as informal as being a parent to a child or a friend to someone in need. The people that you lead and interact with will only grow and develop as fast as you do.
As a coach, I recognise that every person has different motivations, unique skills, individual aspirations, personal attributes and singular talents. Throughout our upbringing, we also develop self-imposed limitations which prevent us from achieving our full potential. To guide you, I will:
√ Inspire you to be the best that you can be
√ Add tools to your toolbox to change behaviour patterns and limiting thinking
√ Support you to identify your desires and hopes
√ Provide an honest answer, provided I have one, and if I don’t, I’ll tell you
√ Believe in you when doubts creep in
√ Challenge you to live to your fullest potential
How does coaching apply to everyday life?
Because coaching is future-focused, building an open, non-judgemental and reflective relationship with a coach means you will learn strategies and tools that you can use immediately, as well as when you face future challenges.
The skills learned in coaching are also universal; you can use them at home, at work, at play and with friends.
By adding to your toolkit of skills, your confidence, passion and courage to be yourself will grow and bring positivity and lasting results to your life.
“A clear vision, backed by definite plans,
gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.”
Brian Tracy, Author of the book The Gift of Self-Confidence.
I coach by partnering with you to understand your vision of where you want to be, and then I guide you in bite-sized, realistic steps to explore new ideas and tools.
There is no judgement from me – if an idea or tool doesn’t work, great! What you will gain from that experience is exceptionally rich in getting you where you want to be, just faster.
Furthermore, I don’t set the timeframe for you to achieve your plans – you do. If those deadlines need to adapt because let’s face it, life happens, then let’s change them!
Coaching isn’t about fixing or changing you – it’s about reflecting on your own thoughts and attitudes and looking at things from a different perspective (and possibly seeing something that’s already there). It rarely happens to a set schedule, so let’s be flexible and see where the journey takes us.
Your role is to decide what you want in your life and commit to your plan. My job is to make sure you get there.
Book a call to find out how your leadership could hold the key to a more engaged and productive workplace.
Do I have to tell my coach everything?
Have you ever bumped into a good friend from 10 years ago in the shopping centre, and started sharing the current affairs of your life? Kids, the new dog you bought and your old mate who neither of you have seen for ages.
However, it’s the middle of the supermarket and you haven’t spoken in years; so there are some things you don’t mention.
Coaching is the same. You decide what you want to talk about, when. If you want to ask for a perspective and just listen, that’s fine too.
“If you don’t get out of your comfort zone,
you may find yourself tuning out of your life on a daily basis.”
Sujan Patel, Forbes Online.
To help you create a path to the life you want, together we do need to unpack what’s holding you back. However, you are in control. I will continue to partner with you in the style that best suits you to achieve your life goals
Are coaches for everybody or just organisations and businesses?
If you have something you want to achieve, a coach is the person to help.
“Over 80% of people said their self-confidence improved when they used a coach.”
International Coaching Federation research report.
According to Business Wire, the business demand for coaching is nearly doubling each year. Recent research by multinational human resources consultancy Korn Ferry, found that nearly 40% of Fortune 500 companies use coaches because their return on invest is 6:1.
That’s right, for every dollar spent on corporate coaching, their staff developed personal skills and strategies that enable them to be six times more productive.
At work, or at home, what could you do in your life if you were six times more effective?
Even the universities are seeing tremendous results using coaches. At Stanford Business School coaches are now assigned to high-performing leaders who are accepted into their Sloan Fellowship program because of the results they produce.
“96% of people interviewed said they would use a coach again.”
International Coaching Federation research report.
Coaching is widespread in sports, business, academia and everyday life. It is for everyone – regardless of your education, gender, income, age, spirituality, experience or lifestyle.
“Participants who engaged in a coaching relationship found that their
stress and anxiety was substantially reduced,
and most reported a significantly enhanced quality of life.”
Dr Anthony Grant, Coaching Psychologist and Researcher at the University of Sydney
If you want to partner with someone who will help you to design your best future, a coach is the perfect solution for you.
I don’t need another person in my life telling me what to do!
Great! I’m not your boss, so I don’t want to direct, tell, oversee or instruct you.
In a coaching relationship, your role is closer to that of a manager. Just like the manager of a football club, you make the decisions about what you want to achieve, and my role is to nurture the qualities and skills that empower you to do that.
We will navigate the challenges together.
Why I’m not the coach for you!
Everyone is unique, including me, and that means my coaching style will not be the right fit for everyone.
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear,
who helps you see what you don’t want to see,
so you can be who you always knew you could be.”
Tom Landry, great American Football Coach and founding coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
If you’re looking for a yes-man to validate the thoughts you already have, that’s not me.
When you pay me for results as your coach, my job is to challenge you beyond that.
I will be honest, compassionate and non-judgmental. I will help you in a way that will capitalise on your strengths and drive your personal success. You are the captain and I’m the navigator.
“You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”
Michael Jordan,
If you’re looking for a coach who is full of passion, ready to inspire you and challenge you to live your best life, then let’s talk today.
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