Why would I work with a coach?
It’s a question with as many answers as there are unique individuals who might ask it. In this post, I’ll attempt to capture those potential answers in a simple framework. The first step in doing so is to define more clearly what we mean by “coaching.” We’re all familiar with coaches in the world of sports, but our context is different.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as… “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership.”
First and foremost, coaching is a partnership between a coach and a “client” (i.e., anyone working with a coach). It’s a creative process to help the client get from where they are to where they want to be. Coaching is often confused with practices such as mentoring, consulting, or even therapy. While each of those practices is highly valuable, coaching is distinct from them. Mentoring is about guidance, or advice, and requires a mentor who has been in your shoes and can provide wisdom from having had the same experiences you are going through. Consulting is about expertise and requires a consultant/expert who has the answers you need. Therapy is about healing and requires a trained professional with expertise in mental health who can prescribe appropriate treatments.
Coaching is about growth and development. A coach is trained in a creative process that inspires clients to maximize their personal and professional potential. This process works, in the words of the ICF, by unlocking previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership. In short, coaching assumes that clients must walk the path in their own shoes, that clients have the answers within themselves, and that clients are not broken or otherwise in need of healing.
As I said at the start, there are countless reasons to hire a coach, assuming they fit the definition of coaching, which is the pursuit of growth and development, rather than advice, answers, and healing. Let’s take a deeper look at the types of growth and development that often lead people to coaching. I’ll share three domains of growth.
Authenticity
We all have a sense of self, and along with it, a sense of how satisfied we are with that self. Maybe we feel we have more to achieve in our life than we have so far. Maybe we feel like we’ve fallen into a rut and gotten off track from what we truly want from life. Maybe our “self” is telling stories in our head that get in the way of being who we have the potential to be. Fundamentally, we all yearn for a fulfilling life, and at times in our life, we feel unfulfilled. I regularly share with clients wanting change in their life that you don’t have to become someone different. Growth is about becoming more of who you truly are… it’s about cultivating your authenticity. Coaching is a process that can help a client move into a future that is more aligned with their values, more motivated by a sense of purpose, and more unburdened by the self-limiting beliefs and stories we tend to carry with us.
Mindset
It’s often difficult to see it when you’re in it, but our lives are defined by the choices we make. Yes, I’m referring to the life choices we make along the way, but more importantly than that, we are making choices every moment about how to see and respond to the world around us. It’s these choices that can make us truly feel stuck. When we blame the circumstances around us for our unhappiness, we inhibit our ability to influence our circumstances and create change. Understanding the mindset – or perspective – that we’re holding in any given moment opens up the possibility to choose a different mindset. Coaching empowers clients to see the world in new ways and choose different courses of action.
Presence
Finally, we all learn and grow from experience. The nature of human experience is wide, from highs like achieving a major milestone or the birth of one’s child, to lows like getting fired or losing a loved one. Life can be difficult to experience at times, but experience it we must. Life is not just about getting past the difficult moments; rather, life is meant to be experienced in all its ups and downs. When we resist experiencing what is true and present in life, we create dissatisfaction. Coaching brings clients into a deeper presence with the experience of life, which in turn unlocks inner resources of resiliency, strength, and creativity.
All humans have the capacity for growth and development. Indeed, I would call it the purpose of life. When you’re ready to invest in your own growth, maybe it’s time to work with a coach. To learn more about options for UTSW faculty to work with a coach, visit the coaching page from the Office of Faculty Wellness.
Mike Caracalas
Professional Executive Coach
michael.caracalas@utsouthwestern.edu
About the Author
Before becoming a professional coach with his own Leadership Coaching firm, Mike Caracalas worked for Sun Microsystems and YUM! Brands in training, HR, and leadership development. He holds a B.A. in psychology, M.A. in organizational psychology, CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach), and PCC (Professional Certified Coach).