What are the best ways to grow personally and professionally as a coach?

In my experience helping my clients establish a specific timeframe for achieving each goal provides a framework for focus and action. Once they set time bound goals the odds increase for them to reach their desired outcomes.

I think deploying SMARTER goals is more appropriate as a coach. SMARTER goals are an extension of the well-known SMART goal-setting framework, adding a few additional elements to make goals even more specific and actionable. SMARTER stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound, Evaluated, and Reviewed. Or even more relevant is working with OKRs, bringing in core values, and an emotional connection to our goals is a key to their success.

SMART goal setting is certainly a step in the right direction as this leads you to ACTION PLANNING . Most people are good at stating their goals but without the action to make them a reality, these become mere wish. For those lacking in motivation or are ultra busy, having a visual representation of the plan on a wall somewhere often frequented, is not only a reminder to action but the driving force to keep on top of things . If combined with effective time management, not only are you likely to accomplish set goals but also those prioritised, according to level of importance and urgency. Learn how to simply this process with me. [email protected] Enterprise & Career Solutions Consultancy

The 10 ways I grow as a coach: Number 1: Continuous Learning. To me, is all about the pursuit of new knowledge. My preferred learning style involves both visual and auditory methods. A: Books. I make it a standard practice to read one book a month, using platforms like Audible and Blinkist. Currently, I'm loving 'The Brain Warrior's Way' by Daniel G. Amen. It's an outstanding book, filled with profound insights, fresh perspectives, and enlightening ideas. B: Podcasts. I also listen to daily podcasts on various topics and interests. Here are some of the podcasters I follow: Diary of CEO (featuring wellbeing experts) Reacted (covering world news) Matt Wolfe (providing insights into everything related to AI). Next No 2: Self-Reflection

Remember to keep your goals focused on outcomes you can achieve, so that you aren't motivated to over-influence your clients. Coaching and its outcomes, after all, should be client-led and client-centered.

Feedback is an essential part of coaching - To every story or case study, there are different perspectives. Directing through our point of view and also getting to know about another perspective at the same time, enlightens us with various more approaches of addressing an issue.

Consider whether hosting or facilitating a feedback-generating event might also help you achieve a growth-or practice-focused SMART goal.

Coaching Supervision is a key part of coaching practice, having the opportunity to discuss challenges, learning, & development as a coach is a key part of having support and feedback for developing as a coach and reflecting a commitment to ethical practice.

Feedback and evaluation is a very good input for a coach, especially when it is from the client or a mentor. But one feedback that is often missed is the indirect feedback of how well your client developed, how well you supported him and which method helped to inspire new ideas and actions in him.

Imagine you’re a pilot flying a plane for a sec. You take off from Atlanta to Los Angeles. At takeoff you’re pointed in the right direction, but here's the thing...if the nose of your plane is off by just a single degree...you could end up HUNDREDS of miles off course, maybe even landing in ANOTHER COUNTRY entirely! So how do you stay on track? Constant feedback! While you’re in the air, navigation systems and traffic control give you insights and additional perspectives needed to keep you locked in and on course. Reaching your destination requires those micro-adjustments. That feedback may seem minor at first, but in the end it can be the difference between landing exactly where you want to be or ending up somewhere you never planned.

Learn from any source that you have. Whether it's books, podcasts, other coaches, seminars, etc. What I find especially helpful is to learn from the mistakes of others.... and not only from their success stories.

Find a professional organization with values you align with, and participate in opportunities to converse with the practitioners who gather there.

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. My goal? Finish one book a week. Why? One word: Leverage. Instead of waiting to learn from mistakes I have yet to make, I can gain a decade, thirty years, or even half a century of wisdom bound in the pages of a single book. Whether it’s audiobooks, blog posts, YT University, or LinkedIn articles, we live in an age where knowledge and technology sit at our fingertips. Leveraging experience is climbing the shoulders of giants to leap over mountains. To learn in hours what they learned in years. So, who's mistakes are you learning from yours or the world's?

Noticing your own need for self-care and the ways you achieve it are also ways to keep in touch with the experiences of the clients you coach; chances are they are in as much or more need of the same practices!

What better way to keep connected with a learning mindset than to proactively seek out new experiences, perspectives, and methodologies?

Recall that you are always your first and best client! Bring curiosity about your own thoughts, sensations, and beliefs as you put any or all of these tips into practice!

An important lesson I have kept with me right from the beginning is to practice what I preach. It helps me stay authentic and I am being able to help my clients better.

For me to grow personally and professionally as a coach I needed to gain coaching hours, to get that experience and to realize that I'm going to make mistakes and that not everyone is going to like my style of coaching. Don't be in a hurry but be on a mission to learn, discover, test, and grow. Finding a place in a coaching company (three so far) was a great way for me to find clients and gain experience. During this time, I also started to develop my private coaching practice. Like most coaches I spent two years in school learning the tools of the trade and then two more years working for my first coaching company where I moved from hours to hundreds of hours to thousands of hours, and still learning, discovering, testing, and growing.

Growing personally & professionally as a coach is a continuous journey involving development of coaching skills, expanding your knowledg via CPD/CCE & refining approach. Self-Reflection is essential for learning & development, seeking feedback from clients & peers to gain valuable insights into your coaching style. Continuous Learning: research, reading, learning about trends, theories & techniques, CPD, CCE. Attend workshops, conferences, & webinars to enhance your knowledge and skills. Accreditation/Certification from reputable organisations help to differentiate/validate expertise between specialisations. Absolutely engage in mentorship & professional coach supervision, this is a vital part of growth & Development as a coach.