Why Coaching Works
Coaching is not about ego: how smart we sound or how right we are. It’s about how curious we can be and how present we are.
We are all born naturally creative, resourceful and whole.
We just tend to lose sight of that when we stop seeing ourselves as enough. We tend to lose sight of that when surviving replaces thriving. We tend to lose sight of that when life becomes a puzzle that we’re trying to solve instead of a that journey we are trying to live.
My favorite thing about coaching is that the best coaching happens when you let go of the outcome.
This concept contradicts just about everything we’ve learned since birth. In school, we are graded for getting the right answers. At work, we are paid to solve problems. In life, we are constantly trying to fix things. So, how does coaching create positive change if you aren’t ever focused on the solution?
I think the answer lies in believing that positive change is ultimately what all of us truly want. If we truly believe this, then anyone can change in the right environment.
Coaching is not about ego: how smart we sound or how right we are. It’s about how curious we can be and how present we are.
Coaching is
Witnessing each other step into our own power
Taking the time to understand in order to challenge and support what is possible
Connecting to who we could be, despite what our saboteurs* are telling us
Collaboratively unpacking what is already there
Creating new neural pathways that positively impact behavior
Sometimes it’s as simple as uncovering that we actually have a choice. Sometimes it’s as deep-rooted as unlearning an assumption or belief that has been holding us back for years.
What about when we are complacently stuck in our ways? Or continuously making the same mistakes?
Coaching argues that we just haven’t quite figured out how to leverage what we have or unlock and align to what we truly want. What do we get from being complacent? What makes it challenging not to make the same mistake? Getting curious about these situations might shed some light on why we might be choosing that path and what might make the difference. Coaching isn’t about knowing the answer, it’s about collaboratively getting curious about it.
The relationship between coach and coachee is stronger than either individual on their own. When we have a safe, yet motivating space that sees us as our best self and calls us to be that person, stepping forward comes naturally. We can grow into who we were meant to be.
It’s an accountable opportunity to show up how we aspire to be. What human doesn’t actually want that? I don’t know of any. Indeed, we are wired to develop.
The bottomline to why coaching works is this: there is nothing to fix or solve, just lots to learn and discover.
*saboteur: in coaching, we use the term saboteur to define the “inner critic” or “negative self-talk” that takes a small piece of truth and distorts it into a powerful argument against committing to positive change or big dreams.
Interested in finding out more about coaching? Let’s chat!
