Is Having a Coach Worth It? Top 5 Reasons Why.
Posted on October 28, 2021 by Lou Ionis, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
We all can easily identify with the importance of a Sports Coach.
I was a Soccer Coach and I can tell you...
Is having a Coach worth it? YES! …but don’t take my word for it, read on and see for yourself.
As a Leadership Development Coach, I see the effects a Coach can have on people. It’s not easy to see for everyone else.
We all can easily identify the importance of a Sports Coach. I was a Soccer Coach and I can tell you, a sports Coach and a non-sports Coach are achieving the same thing. They are equipping you with the abilities to be successful.
The top 5 reasons a Coach is worth it:
*The below situations are real, the names have been changed to protect my client’s privacy
1. Maneuvering Difficult Situations
Situation: Jill H., head of HR for a startup, was faced with a disgruntled employee who blasted an inflammatory email to everyone in the company – calling out the shortcomings of his manager, peers and department. The leadership team made it her responsibility to resolve the situation. Having never come across this type of situation, Jill didn’t know how best to handle it.
Coaching: As a Coach I listened. I gave Jill the opportunity to vent, open up and then relax. There was a lot built up inside —> pressure from the leadership team, thoughts from others in the company, the feeling of attack by that employee and her doubting she was capable/equipped to solve the problem. Holding space for her, was the unlock that Jill needed. Being an active listener allowed Jill to remove all the noise to a point where we were able to work through all the possible actions and steps.
Outcome: I was able to allow Jill to see the path forward. Jill set up time with the employee to first listen. She approached the situation with curiosity, instead of emotional bias and judgement, fed by what was built-up inside her. Jill was able to uncover the employee’s root issue. The employee’s communication was a cry for help. Jill was able to enact changes that addressed more systemic issues in the organization and helped everyone.
2. Achieving Goals
Situation: Alex J., a CEO of a multi-business conglomerate, is in a fast paced, dynamic environment of constant pile-ups of work. Always being in fire-fighter mode, is headed for complete burn-out. All that Alex is seeking is some reprieve, some calm, some opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.
Coaching: I placed Alex into the role of the visionary. Together we started with what he was seeking (reprieve, calm, proactiveness). During our session we discovered where the importance and drive to achieve his goals were and what it would feel like to be there.
Outcome: We created his vision. From there we determined everything he needed to be able to create this vision, setting him on a path of supported success. He is now equipped with a vision, a path to get there and tools to sustain success for himself.
3. Performance Improvement
Situation: Alice R., Senior Manager of IT Development, was stuck trying to make everyone happy and getting mediocre performance reviews in the process. She was putting in 55-65 hours a week, going above and beyond on all her tasks, always being at her manager’s beck-and-call, trying to support her employees and finding criticism around every corner.
Coaching: Holding a space of empathy for Alice was her unlock. Alice was going in a million different directions and not able to execute greatness at any one of them. Together we mapped out her life, what she was truly passionate about and in turn what created the greatest energy for her. From there we honed in on what were Alice’s greatest powers.
Outcome: Alice remodeled her approach to her work life. She saw the opportunity of leveraging her powers to be more thoughtful with her time and energy. Starting the next day Alice had a clear focus and direction of how she was going to manage her employees, her manager and her tasks. Within only a couple months, Alice was able to turn her life around by demonstrating her strengths to everyone around her. When others began to see this success, the positive accolades started rolling in.
4. Overcoming the Imposter
Situation: Matt W., VP of Product for a SAAS startup, often found himself feeling inferior, an imposter. The title of “VP” threw him into a space of self-doubt. He looked around and saw so many other Product people who seemed to know more than him, were better at product or had more experience than him. He felt everyone could see he was an imposter, or if they didn’t, he lived in fear that they might figure it out.
Coaching: Coaching step number one for Matt was to help him see how great he truly has been in life. We cataloged his successes and began to understand what tools and capabilities he has available, both, within him and around him. Through the Coaching process we began to tap into Matt’s belief systems and inner voice, while shifting his mindset into one of growth and confidence.
Outcome: With the new coaching revelations and great perspectives of himself, Matt realized he truly has what it takes to be a leader of Product for the company. He now relies on his tools and capabilities to grow those around him to become the VP he knows he can be.
5. Career Strategy
Situation: Sam N., Senior Sales Executive – Individual Contributor, lost on where to go for his career. Sam enjoys the commission, but dreads the anxiety of hitting his quota every month. He’s not sure if a path of individual contributor is what he wants or a path of people management. Is it in Sales or is it Customer Service? A role in Product or is it as an Elementary School Teacher? Confused and lost, Sam isn’t sure what he wants and feels trapped where he is.
Coaching: As his Coach, I bring to the table tools which help organize his thoughts, desires, passions, needs and wants. We root-out what’s important to Sam. From there, we draw the picture of his current state, his vision and then his strategy of how to get there.
Outcome: Sam is now equipped with a realistic, clear and confident plan of the career path that will create the greatest success and happiness for him. It aligns to fulfilling his goals, not only at work, but also in life!
Is having a Coach worth it?
You tell me!
Is it worth being able to maneuver difficult situations, equipped to successfully achieve your goals, better at your job, overcoming doubt and insecurities and having a clear strategy and path defined for you in life?
Is it worth creating a happier life?
Who wouldn’t want this? A Coach is who you partner with to make this happen!
Take the first step and have a conversation with a Coach to unlock the possibilities.
Let’s Chat!