Evolving Objectives of My Coaching Journey

People, how they respond to situations, and their growth has always interested me. Not only as an observer but also as an actively involved partner. Decades invested in building and leading teams during my career taught me that relationships are beyond business. Also, the curiosity to know my team better made me befriend them and their immediate family resulting in my forming long-lasting relationships. This helped people to open beyond the work issues and thrive in an atmosphere of?trust and harmony… generally avoiding unnecessary stress.

Interacting with practicing coaches and reading about coaching, was a natural extension of my leadership style, I was drawn towards developing myself to exploit it commercially in the future.

Having joined the ACC level, I entered with the intent to add a marketable qualification. As I progressed with classroom and peer coaching sessions, my outlook towards the practice changed. Firstly, it reinforced my belief in the merit of understanding a person holistically to be able to help them navigate through any issues that they are seeking help with. Secondly, as colleagues, peers, friends, or leaders, the easiest and most obvious response is to offer a solution, when the solution most certainly can come from the subject, if they speak, think aloud or answer questions. The solution from such coaching conversations is more likely to be used and believed in (also referring to W. T. Gallwey-The Inner Game of Work).

Today, as I look at this journey, my expectations have broadened, perhaps more than adding a qualification. It has become reassuring that understanding our subjects holistically through conversations, can put specific issues or concerns in context and be helpful in the practice, more than any other aspect.

Also, being a business leader for several years, one felt it incumbent to listen to a problem or an issue, with the singular objective to then offer a way out or solution, as I saw it?… In listening lies the best owner-driven solutions.?This journey helped me reassess part of my approach as a leader, friend, or?pater familiar, I am not the owner of all solutions and that is a burden that we often tend to carry, but I can facilitate anyone to reach their improvements or higher states.

The value addition and altered perspective are a reward and even if the journey to being a practicing Coach may take time, the new realization – the person as well as the ability to facilitate through listening is enriching and makes me more confident.

Author Name - Ajay Mehra