Last week I met up with an old friend from school. She asked me a question that got me thinking!

‘What do you do now for living?’

‘I am a coach. I help people gain confidence and find ideas to deal with their challenges at work.’

‘How does it work?’

‘They usually come to me because they heard about me from a friend or a colleague. It maybe because they want to feel more comfortable dealing with their boss. Maybe they want to feel more at ease when they present to the big shots at work. Maybe they want to figure out how to handle a difficult employee. Maybe they want to work out how best to get buy-in. Maybe they feel they can be more effective in their job but don’t know where to start..’

‘How long is the program?’

‘Depends. Each individual is different. Usually any lasting change requires at least 3 months. If they are busy, they may go for a session once a month, and use a package over a year. If they have a challenge they urgently want to manage like getting a job, they may use a package in a month. I had a client who didn’t have a job so she finished a package in a month! But another client is a busy executive so he only shows up every 2-3 months.’

‘Does it mean that coaching is for people who are not good at their job?’

That’s an interesting question! I never thought about it that way! It’s also interesting that someone from outside the industry got that impression.

‘Actually my clients are usually very talented, committed to self improvement and eager to learn. They are usually above average performers.’ Admittedly this is also my preferred demographics..

Her question got me thinking.. What kind of people usually go for coaching?

I realised, ‘they also have a sense of awareness that they deserve and can have a better state – that they could be happier, or more confident, or more effective.’

‘Coaching is also driven by the individual. They have to want the change. They’re the one who initiates it. And at least for my clients, they often pay out of their own pocket. No one is pushing them to do anything different in their life. So they have to be self-driven and motivated enough.’

Thinking about it reminds me of an article I read about coaching – that it should be given to the core 60% performers!

#WhatIsCoaching #DemystifyCoaching