Why Everyone Needs a Great Coach

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: coaching can have a bad stigma, thanks to the proliferation of people offering coaching services these days. The reality is that anyone can say they are a coach. You don’t need a license to get started, and the barriers to entry are low. On LinkedIn, more than six million people currently list “coach” in their job title – myself included, so I understand the dilemma firsthand.

The upside to this influx is that you can find a coach for just about anything. There are coaches for executives, entrepreneurs, and business professionals. There are life coaches, health coaches, mindset coaches, even coaches to help improve goal setting. There are coach practitioners who have completed coach-specific training with an accredited organization, while others in the profession provide coaching based on their own unique experience and approach.   

I have worked with coaches from a variety of backgrounds during different phases of my career. My first coach was highly trained in interpreting an assessment that helped me clarify my values. This experience allowed me to understand why, despite having a successful career, I was unhappy at work. My next coach was a well-being expert and an entrepreneur. She gave me the confidence I needed to take the leap and start my own company - and taught me how to maintain health and wellness practices that help me feel my best.      

While every coaching experience was beneficial, some were better than others. The key to finding a great coach is to be clear about what you want, and the type of person you want to work with. The good news is that word-of-mouth referrals, social media, and the use of video conferencing tools have made it easier than ever for clients to find and connect with coaches.

For example, a friend of mine in Colorado found a running coach from Canada on Instagram. This coach helped her train for a race in Indiana with the hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon – which she did. She found the coach online, selected the coach based on their success as a long-distance runner and race champion, and worked remotely with the coach to improve her race prep strategy, running technique, and overall approach. The coach taught her something new and held her accountable so she could reach her goals.

Importantly, the coach knew what it took to win and could teach from a place of deep understanding. This is the true value of a coach, and what makes someone in a coaching role different than a boss or mentor. A coach focuses on developing your knowledge, skills, and self-awareness. They are typically experts in a specific area and are performance driven to help you break through barriers and plateaus.

Your boss may be performance driven, and they may also be an expert in a certain area, but they are being held accountable for results too. As such, they tend to stay focused on the bigger picture and are less able to prioritize your individual needs – especially the higher you go. Your boss may support your growth and development, but the expectation is that, as a professional, you manage your improvement and bring that knowledge to bear in your work. 

A mentor is an entirely different relationship. It is reciprocal in the sense that both the mentee and mentor benefit from the exchange of ideas and perspectives without a hierarchical power imbalance, and because growth takes place outside of the confines of a single corporate office, expectations are not limited to a single company, mission, or departmental goals. The end goal is certainly development, but in a more general sense.

Coaching offers a valuable pathway for growth and development that is unlike other professional relationships. Coaches can help clients – athletic, business, or otherwise - experience critical breakthroughs that turn feeling stuck into forward motion so they can reach the next level, compete better, and continue to win.

Coaching has helped me personally to realign with my values, improve my health, start a business, and develop a greater sense of self-worth. Through coaching, I have learned valuable new skills that help me every day in business, as a yoga teacher, and at home. My experience is one reason why my company (Apogy) offers change management coaching alongside the training, because I understand firsthand that if you really want to change or get better at something, you need a great coach.

So, what does this all mean?

• You have a lot of options, and should choose a coach based on your own goals, learning style, and the coach’s teaching style;
• The right match can lead to powerful results, better performance, and skill mastery; and
• Seeking a coach outside of your current employer and even sector can provide a unique opportunity to differentiate the value you bring to your company and your fulfillment, growth, and clarity of mind and heart.

Whether it is for work or personal reasons, you deserve a positive, fulfilling coaching experience. I wish you all the best as you research the right path forward for you.