What do you know about coaching?

As a young engineer, I never heard of coaching.  We did not learn about it in school nor was it discussed in the leadership program I was in at work.

I first learned of coaching from a good friend and mentor.  She had a company provided coach and shared her coach experience with me.  (She was seen as a high potential leader in the company.) She shared how her coach helped her with time and relationship management and helped her see her blindspots. 

"WHAT?!?!?!  You can hire someone to do that?" Is what I thought.

As an emerging leader pursuing management opportunities, myself, I thought...

• Why isn't coaching offered to everyone in the company?

• Why do I have to wait until I reach a certain level at work before I can get a coach?   

• Couldn't everyone, even the junior engineers, benefit from having a coach help them with their blindspots?  

• What do I need to do to be seen as a ‘high potential’ leader so that I can get a coach?  

Those were just some of my thoughts and questions to myself.  Then I moved on.  Little did I know, a coach would have helped me address several of those questions.  Looking back, I wish I had taken action on those thoughts. 

You know when you learn a lesson you want to tell others so they can learn from your life lesson?  That is why I shared this story with you.  My intention is to give you some information about coaching that you may not be aware of or have considered for yourself.

What is coaching?

Coaching is about moving forward to pursue your goals.  Imagine if you were a professional singer.  You would hire a vocal coach to help improve your pitch, tone, and to help you prepare for an upcoming performance.  If you were a golfer, you would hire a golf coach to watch and analyze your golf swing and approach to the an upcoming game.

A life coach is a un-biased, non-judgmental, professional that will come alongside you and partner with you to achieve your goals.  Good coaches are great listeners and use YOUR words to bring things to your attention by asking thought provoking questions.  We nurture your untapped potential.  We challenge you, encourage you, and hold you accountable to your commitments as you move forward in reaching your goals.

Now that you have a better idea of what coaching is, what questions do you have for me?