I still remember the day I first realized the true power of individual coaching. At that point in my career, I had begun making my transition to Organizational Development, but I had not been exposed to coaching yet. I was in the process of pursuing my certificate in Organizational Development and chose to take a class called Business Coach Approach, taught by the fabulous Darcy Luoma, who still inspires me to this day.
During the class Darcy asked one of the students to volunteer to be coached on a topic in front of the group. I remember thinking when the topic was introduced that I had an initial impression on where the conversation would evolve to. However, by the time the coaching conversation was completed, I felt like I needed to look through a telescope to look back and see where the conversation began. It was incredibly powerful to see how the conversation evolved through active listening and insightful questions, and to witness the impact on the person being coached.
That was the moment when I knew that I wanted to be a coach. I was excited to have the opportunity to guide individuals to find greater clarity and purpose in their lives, and to support leaders with developing their teams to higher performance.
I’m happy to say that being a coach today is every bit as fulfilling as I thought it would be during that defining moment. It has been powerful to watch the personal growth and progress my clients have made and to hear how invaluable the experience has been for them.
One of my favorite parts of coaching is helping the individual realize they have the answers inside of them; my role is to listen actively, share helpful observations, give them space to process, and ask powerful questions to help them unlock new perspectives and bursts of creativity. The moment the client finds resonance and is enlightened with a new perspective always reminds me of glass breaking – it is energizing and incredibly powerful to witness.
How is coaching different than consulting and mentoring?
I have been surprised how frequently I hear the term coaching used when many organizations are using consulting services in that situation. Consultants are professionals who provide expert advice in a particular area or specialty. There are definitely times where consulting is helpful and needed, especially if your organization is implementing a new process and wants to learn best practices from an expert.
Mentoring can also be helpful, especially if you are new in a role and have someone in your department who can guide you and help you get up to speed more quickly. The mentor is expected to share their expertise and give instructions on how to follow various processes or answer questions as needed.
In both situations, the mentor and the consultant are the experts. In coaching, we collaborate as a partner with the client; we believe the client is the expert in their life and has the answers inside of them. It is our job as a coach to provide a confidential, non-judgmental environment to ask powerful questions and help the client transfer new learnings and insights into action.
When would coaching benefit me?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few situations where coaching would be extremely beneficial.
- You are considering a career change and need clarity on what you would like to do next in your career
- You are working to make significant decisions in one or more areas of your life
- You are a “high potential” within your organization and seeking to elevate your performance to new heights
- You are a first-time people manager
- You are an aspiring leader
- You are new to your organization and are seeking on-boarding coaching to ensure a successful transition into your new responsibilities
- You are an experienced executive
- You are looking to create a development plan with measurable steps to accelerate success
- You recognize you are sabotaging yourself and would like to increase your awareness so you can prevent this from continuing to happen
How would coaching benefit me?
- Increases self-awareness
- Accelerates learning
- Develops critical thinking skills
- Greater clarity and sense of purpose
- Improves team leadership performance
- Increases alignment of goals, business outcomes, career aspirations and values between the leader and organization
- Provides sustainable organizational change
- Work collaboratively to create development plans that remove barriers, change behaviors, and achieve goals
- Foster accountability by involving key stakeholders throughout the process
What is your approach to coaching at Evolutio LLC?
As an ICF trained coach, I believe that you are the expert in your life, and I will collaborate with you as your partner to help you find the unique answers and insights within yourself. As the client, you will always be the one in the “driver’s seat”, who determines what current or future challenge you would like us to focus on in each session. We will focus not only on how you are showing up in situations, but also who you are being in those moments. Our work together will help you maximize your personal and professional potential through creating goals, developing a strategy to achieve those goals, and activating your insights into action.
Are you curious if coaching would be a valuable investment for you? Contact me today to schedule a complimentary 30-minute coaching session so we can discuss your personal and professional goals and dive into one topic of your choice for exploration.
(262) 225-3268
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