When was the last time someone said they believed in you?

How did that make you feel? What was the impact on your performance? Let this sink in for a minute...

Did you know that there is indeed power in believing in someone. It helps them find an inner strengths they didn't know they had and, most importantly, it helps them achieve their true potential !

In order to explore this topic, and as part of my role as a manager in Salesforce, I am currently taking a Diploma in Personal and Professional Coaching with the Irish Life Institute. The course runs from October 2020 to May 2021 and includes (virtually) sitting through 8 Modules, reading a comprehensive list of books, writing assignments, and practicing hands-on coaching.

I will be sharing my learning & experience throughout this journey and I invite YOU to share your experience with me, if you wish of course. That is the best way to learn and grow, isn't it? :)

*** October 2020 - Book 1: Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore

What is coaching? As per John Whitmore in 'Coaching for Performance', ''Coaching is unlocking people's potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them''.

As we are defining the concept of COACHING, we should probably clarify the concept of mentoring. Some would say coaching and mentoring are interchangeable, but the truth is they are not. As a matter of fact, mentoring is quite different. On the one hand, coaching requires knowledge in the act of using methods to unlock performance. On the other hand, mentoring requires expertise in the subject matter at hand. A mentor will pass down their knowledge and experience over a long period of time. On the contrary, a coach will enable to perform a task through awareness and responsibility, until said task is completed.

In order to foster a coaching culture enabling high-performance, let us unveil the common denominator of any organization... PEOPLE ! Individuals, like you and me, rich of our very own talent and potential. In order to unlock that POTENTIAL, it is important to establish a culture based on respect, psychological trust and courageous conversations. Believing in someone's capability to achieve PERFORMANCE will influence directly their behavior.

Coaching is about believing in people so they can believe in themselves, which means they will behave as individuals who are trusted, encouraged and supported to make their own choices and decisions. In the tool box of a true coach are Active Listening and the GROW model.

Do you ever tell your team, your colleagues, your family or friends, that you believe in them? What was the impact on their behavior and performance?

Feel free to share in the comment section below ! See you there :)

*** COMING UP NEXT ! November - Book 2: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz