Ten reasons to work with a coach and three reasons why you shouldn't

There are a multitude of reasons to work with a coach, but coaching's not a silver bullet as the environment for coaching and readiness of the client are key to a successful outcome.

I have often been asked 'What will a coach offer me?' and 'Why would I use a coach rather than work it out myself?'

I've attempted to call out a few of the reasons why a coach would be an appropriate person to work with and a few reasons why they wouldn't.

Here's ten reasons why I would work with a coach.

You are keen to continue your self development as you have been promoted

What got you to your current position won't help you develop and adapt to your new or future roles. Your ability to think and make well thought out decisions will become more important the more senior you become. Coaching is primarily a thinking and reflecting activity, this then leads to action. By working with a coach you will develop your thinking skills and be able to use them for years to come.

You need a trusted person to listen to some challenges you have been working through without judgement

Work can be a lonely place if you have problems or challenges to work through yourself, but people are looking to you for leadership, management or decisions. It can feel even more challenging if you are trying to build a reputation as a leader.

The beauty of working with a coach is they won't judge you based on your role or job title, therefore have performance expectations. They will only be focused on working with you to discuss the challenges you prioritise and help find a path forward.

You need a confidential discussion with someone that is independent and solely focused on helping you figure out a problem(s)

If a coach is a member of a recognised coaching body e.g. The I.C.F. they will be working within a code of ethics . That means they adhere to specific principles that put the clients needs at the forefront of any engagement. It also means any discussions remain completely confidential between the parties. Most coaches will outline how they operate as part of the first discussion with the client. If they don't, make sure you ask the question.

You are open to new ideas or thinking

A good coach will ask questions that make you think deeply and will sometimes make you uncomfortable. Their aim is to challenge some of your current thoughts that may be limiting your potential or problem solving. You may also be asked to try new approaches to help uncover root causes of issues or blockers preventing you from making the progress you desire. This will mean you need to be open to those new ideas.

Things are at a point where you really need to make change happen

When unhappiness, lack of energy or loss of motivation become chronic, it's time for a new approach. A coach will take the time to discuss those issues that are impacting you and help you think through the options you have. Their focus will be in breaking that cycle and getting you into a mindset to make the changes you need.

You have used coaches in other areas of your life and have found them helpful

The principle of seeking help from a trained person is the same in coaching as in sports. A coach should listen and replay back what they hear. What they replay may give you a completely different perspective on the problem, despite your words being used. Sports coaches often talk about 'Feel vs Real', the person who is in the middle of the problem will often benefit from an outside view of the issue. An educated eye or ear, in the case of listening during coaching, may highlight what is really happening rather than what you think or feel is happening.

You feel lost, isolated or overwhelmed

If you feel lost, isolated or overwhelmed, you need a safe space and environment to work that issue through. A coach will give you this and create an environment to work your problems/challenges out.

Your usual approach to handling the problem hasn't worked

Sometimes working harder isn't the answer. Stepping back and reflecting on the problem, before designing a plan is usually a better approach. Hard work may be part of the answer but working smarter is usually more productive.

You want help to identify what good looks like for you in the future

By making the time to think having targeted sessions a coach can help you really think through what makes you happy and where you want to be. It's not unusual to question 'Where do I want to be in 'xx' years?' and 'What will make me happy?' Discussions like those are common to work on with coaches.

You don't have to be a superhero and be alone with your challenges

I had a great chat with someone who described how coaching sounded like therapy. There are many similarities, but I pointed out that while the techniques may be similar, we focus on challenges in the here and now that may impact the future. Rather than things that have happened in the past, that are impacting the here and now.

Working with a therapist is quite correctly viewed as a positive step to helping individuals manage and address issues that are impacting their lives. Coaching is the same.

When I'm asked what I do as a coach I simply say, I listen to peoples challenges, thoughts and ideas. I then help them work through their responses to create an environment where they can unwrap their thoughts and plan a path to where they want to be.

As well as there being good reasons to work with a coach, there are also red flags as to why you shouldn't work with a coach. A good coach will discover these in the first introduction session and suggest coaching isn't right at this particular time.

You want someone to tell you what to do

A coach is not a mentor, they won't say 'Have you tried [Specific tactic] or 'When I had this issue in the past I found that ...' If that's the type of assistance you want then a mentor will give you direct advice. Just make sure you find one with the correct level of experience.

You don't really think you need help

A client needs to have internal motivation to gain value from the experience, really want to make progress and want to go on the coaching journey. The effort required means if you don't really want help, then change is unlikely to happen.

You are a fan of quick fixes

Coaching is hard work for both the client and coach. There is no time limit to working through some of the issues raised during coaching, nor on how long it takes to get a client to a place where they are self-sufficient. But that is the goal. Progress can be made more quickly if time is given to thought, reflection and action outside of the sessions, but coaching is rarely a two sessions and done thing.

Summary

Coaching is a rewarding role and should be a positive experience for the client. There are many reasons to work with a coach and give yourself the pleasure of having someone there just to help you through a challenge or problem. A coach will actively listen to their clients and look for ways to support them on their journey of discovery and reward. Supporting them to overcome challenges or find a way to exceed what they thought was possible. But, there are also some reasons coaching may not work, so make sure you are ready to commit and understand there are no shortcuts to success.

My Performance Coach offers Executive and High Performance Coaching for individuals and teams based on lessons learned from sport and business. If you would like to discuss more about how My Performance Coach could help you or your team, please book a free introduction meeting . Where we can discuss your challenges in further detail.

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