Posted on September 28, 2012 by Cynthia Gunsinger
How do I get the most out of hiring a coach?ÂÂ
The financial and time investment in coaching is no small matter and no doubt you want to get the most out of your coaching experience.
There are some basic guidelines that you should consider to ensure you build a  successful coaching relationship in order to reach your success:
- Carefully Choose Your Coach: Coaching is not pep talk or counseling – it is much more than that! Talk to your friends, read online reviews, interview coaches, ask for testimonials, get an understanding about how the coach works, get all your interview questions answered, and do other things necessary to help you make the right decision.
- Focus on Goals: Coaching is the most successful when y certain of what you want to work on. If you’re unsure, that is a great topic to get coaching on! Work with your coach to set a list of goals.
- Really Show Up. Be punctual, work hard, take on challenges, make changes in your life, and achieve goals. Coaching is a great tool, but you are responsible for your own life and if you want to make changes, you have to do the work.
- Each Session is a Challenge: If you view each session as a fresh start, you will move forward in leaps and bounds. Keep a list of new action items after the end of every session, make an execution plan, work towards it, and take on challenges. Or use the Rewrite Method (via @cloudcoach).
- Be Open: You have hired the coach because you want to move onto something else in your life. Moving on requires flexibility and adaptability and little room for stubbornness.
- Find Your Voice: By no means think that you must blindly follow your coach. Voice your opinion and debate out things when you don’t agree with your coach. While your coach has expertise and experience, coaching is about you: your opinions, values, and goals.
- Coach as Senior Partner: Use the metaphor of your coach being a senior partner in your journey. What would you expect from a senior partner? Trust, confidence, and being seen and listened to. The senior partner wants you to succeed!
- Have Fun! Coaching, like most things, is a lot of fun if you put it that perspective.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.~ Hellen Keller
The business of growth, transformation and change can either be a drudging, miserable task or a fun daring adventure. You choose.
Thinking that you have what it takes to be a successful client? Contact us to get a personalized assessment!ÂÂ
Imagining the future, having a dream, and following it is a fundamental driver in our human experience.
One thinks of all the professionals that help you manage the “Stuff” in your life, but a coach is there for “Your Life†not the stuff, but YOU, your hopes and dreams, your deepest needs and desires for a fulfilling life. That’s the territory where a successful coaching relationship can really make a difference for you.
For me coaching integrates three foundational principles, fulfillment (deriving deep meaning and satisfaction from life), balance (viewing the world from an empowered stance, making powerful choices and taking effective action) and process (fully experiencing the richness of any given moment). Powerful coaching helps you uncover your dreams and use them as the fuel to propel you towards to a more fulfilling life.
Having a coach in your life will give you tools to discover and understand your core values and your life purpose. We use the present moment as the powerful place to step toward inspired actions that will benefit you in your daily life.
And of course maybe the most important thing on this list is fun.
I’m not going to sugar coat it …having a coach does require some heavy lifting but it’s also incredibly exhilarating, kind of like the craziest roller coaster rider you ever experienced. When you get off at the end of the ride, your think.. wow that FUN! Let go again.
YES! Be ready to jump! It reminds me of bungee jumping: it takes a lot of heavy internal lifting to get up on that platform, but once you jump: the world is at your feet. (even if you get a nose full of water on the bounce) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDuOTv6qVLg
Change can be challenging, but ever so worthwhile if you are ready to take it on! For people with ADHD, change can be complicated by challenges inherent with ADHD itself. Finding an ADHD coach can make all the difference! An ADHD coach has training and experience related to the neurobiology of ADHD and is familiar with specific strategies to support the change process for people with ADHD. To learn more about managing change with ADHD, check out my blog at http://lizahmann.blogspot.com/ or contact me at: http://www.noomii.com/users/elizabeth-ahmann for a free consultation.
Liz! Great clarification about clients who are looking to work on specific challenges! ADHD coaching is a great example of a specific type of coach that would be a great match for clients with ADHD. I would offer: clients should come with a clear picture of what the areas they want to work on AND their specific challenges.