Day in the Life of a Coach

Posted on November 05, 2024 by Howard Hopkins, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

I am often asked what is the difference in coaching in Europe and Asia:

The line is sometimes blurry between coaching and mentoring and I have had clients in Europe who see coaching as being given advice. So, there is a lot of work around making them understand what coaching is and that you are not here to do everything for them. You will support them to do it. So, there is a lot more demand for the practical things they want from coaching.

What motivates me to get up in the morning:

For me, it is easier to get up in the morning when you know your why and for me it is supporting people to grow – a mission and a passion. So, when I know I have people to coach on that day it is easy to get up because I love what I do.
Also, helping people find their way in their careers – finding what drives them motivates me, and when I see a smile on the face of the people I coach, in those sudden light bulb moments.

How do I split my day between coaching and other roles:

My passion is coaching but I am also a Master Trainer here in Thailand so I balance my day accordingly dependent on work commitments. I definitely ‘work to live’ and ensure my balance of life is as I want it to be. I am always enhancing my Coaching Journey and looking for personal development opportunities.
But coaching is also running your own business, so I also must ensure I am constantly marketing myself and my services.

What are my biggest challenges as a coach:

For me, it is often around mental wellness. It has always been a key factor in coaching but nowadays I experience more mental wellness issues with clients. The line between the role of coaching and therapy can sometimes be meniscal and for change to occur we may need to step back into the past. It is important to know when the person is ready or not for coaching.
The second challenge is cultural differences because coaching is perceived differently from one country to another. So, I spend a lot of time contracting with clients to make sure we understand what the relationship will be about. I recently completed the Cultural Orientations Framework (COF) which is an ICF certification, to provide me with a level of expertise when involved in a multi-cultural coaching environment.

I describe myself as:

I am very personable, open, fun person and have great passion for what I do. I possess much energy and am very practical in everything I do. I enjoy UK football, food, wine and travelling. So, I would describe myself as a practical, honest man with much compassion and care.

How do I maintain a work-life balance:

I work to live and ensure that my work provides enough support for me and my family. The work I do fulfills my needs, my values and gives me the balance of life I want. It has not always been like this as we often go through different phases of living for work too dependent on select stages in our life and career.
For me you must decide how you want to spend your life, what is most important to you and what do you value most.

My final tips and golden nuggets:

 Let silence in a coaching session do the work for you. Silence is a fabulous tool in coaching. It is amazing how people will reflect in the silence. And it is the same for yourself, take a pause but let it be silent – it will bring you more things, and open your curiosity and imagination.
 Remember if you want people to engage with new ideas, be empowered to take ownership, to embed and execute the ideas, coaching process or training they must be pragmatic, relevant and above all practical.

So, if you are looking for a person to provide you support in your professional or personal development, I would love to talk with you: WhatsApp me +66(0) 85 485 2165

“Remember keep it simple… you can always complicate it afterwards…”