It is amusing how people from different continents respond to my profession as a coach differently. A typical response from an American is: “You are a coach? Oh, how nice!!” From countries of emerging power such as China, Poland or Russia, people often turn the rest of the conversation into an informal coaching session. However, when I tell a European that I am a coach, I often get a blank stare. When I ask: “Have you ever been coached before?” The blank stare is transformed into self-defense: “No, I don’t have any mental problem!”
Coaching helps mentally healthy people clarify stretch goals, then remove barriers, identify resources and strategies needed in order to achieve them. Olympic athletes need help from sports coach to realize their dreams of winning gold medals. This is the reason coaching is usually a privilege provided exclusively to high level executives – the Olympic athletes of corporate world.
Do most people need coaching? Absolutely not. Coaching is best for people who WANT to be coached. They are ready to step outside of their comfort zone, to receive feedback in order to raise self-awareness, to have their perspectives challenged, and to accelerate their growth. Most importantly, the right coaching help people set foot on the right life path.
Coaching is not a need but a want to maximize one’s full potential.
