Sometimes we are much better sponsors and supporters of our friends than we are of ourselves.
We see the potential in others, we encourage them to develop, but when it comes to our professional path, we question ourselves, hesitate, are sometimes unsure we can take the leap. This is not necessarily something that has much to do with self confidence. “I know I am good at this! – told me once a client – I don’t know what is holding me back, if I knew I would have jumped already”.
We know we have skills and expertise, but are aware that our skills alone are not enough, we need the right environment to flourish and it may take time to figure out what that environment looks like and where to find it.
Coaching is a structured conversation around professional and personal goals, that helps us identify what makes for a nurturing environment to grow our projects. Each session with a coach represents protected time that you set aside to reflect on your strengths and your values, what motivates you and what drains you, so that you can decide how to move forward in a way that is aligned with your principles and your objectives. Asking probing questions, the coach can help you reflect on your plans and your goals. It is thanks to these conversations that one can verbalise, sometimes for the first time, what is holding them back and what motivates them. Having a better understanding of where we are and what we have is essential to make the first step in a new direction.
I have benefitted immensely from coaching and I still go back to it when I need to discuss options with someone not invested directly in my personal life choices, even now that I am a certified coach myself.
I have been coaching and mentoring people for several years. Seeing my coachees getting clarity around their life goals, making plans towards them and starting their own journey is always the greatest pleasure.