A
career information article:
Choose the best career and business coach
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
Summary: Career counseling used to be straightforward.
You hired a counselor who administered tests, asked some questions and
guided you to a dream career. Today's job search model calls for hiring
a coach. And you'll find thousands to choose from. Here's how to make
your selection.
Karen hired a "mentor" coach to help her business grow. She spent hours
working on her website. She played with orange, green, and blue text in
helvetica, geneva and garamond type faces. She added pictures. She took
away pictures.
Karen's coach cheered: "You're doing great!" On a slow
week, the coach said, "Clear clutter and learn to dance."
After three months, Karen had a big coaching bill, a multicolored
website, an empty house and a sad little business.
What happened?
Every coach works with a model, or template, of human
nature that explains what, why and how they coach. Karen's coach
believed people will unblock their businesses when they clear clutter
and learn to move their bodies freely. It works for many people.
However, Karen needed information. A corporate manager
turned entrepreneur, she needed a business-savvy coach who could help
her transform minefields into meadows.
Karen hadn't asked her coach, "What do you think I
need?"
And she hadn't asked herself, "What do I need most right now?"
What is a model?
We work with models of human nature every day. For
instance, Western medicine treats the body as a machine to be repaired;
Chinese medicine believes sickness is caused by imbalance that can be
corrected by herbs and diet.
Every model has limits. If you break your leg, the Western model makes
most sense; if you suffer from insomnia, you might favor the Chinese
model.
Which model do you need?
John's business is hitting a rough patch.
Coach X says, "Clear your life of energy-draining
relationships."
Coach Y says, "I will teach you mental techniques to attract new
business."
Coach Z says, "Maybe your business does not reflect your life purpose."
Coach Q offers, "I will teach you networking and sales techniques."
Only John knows what he needs. If your website needs an overhaul, you
can clear clutter till your house is bare and nothing will happen. But
if everyday hassles are draining your energies, you can't focus clearly
on the website.
By the book
Let's compare four best-selling books. Cheryl Richardson's Take
Time for Your Life exemplifies the "life space" model: people
know what they want and how to get there; they grow by self-care and
personal empowerment. Choose Coach X.
Lynn Grabhorn's Excuse
Me Your Life Is Waiting, suggests that people will achieve
goals when they focus clearly on what they want. Her techniques can
help people change their thinking and feeling styles. Choose Coach Y.
Martha Beck's book, Finding Your Own True North, argues that
finding your essential self will bring fulfillment. Choose Coach Z.
Finally, a business book like Michael
Gerber's E-Myth series or Jay Levinson's Guerilla Marketing will
assume you are perfectly capable of applying sound sales techniques
once you learn what they are. Yes -- that's Coach Q.
The key is to be very clear on what you want and to
decode what the coach offers before you commit to long-term
relationships. Karen got Coach X when she needed Coach Q.
Read what the coach has written. Ask if you can buy an hour or two of
consultation before committing to a longer time frame. Ask directly,
"What types of people do you believe you can help -- and why?"
You don't have to be friends with your coach. You don't have to eat
lunch together or trade birthday gifts. But the coach's model of growth
and change has to fit who you are.
You may not need a coach. You may need a mentor
or you may need to learn to listen to your own intuition.
Ask yourself: How did you learn and grow during previous
transitions? Have you benefited from paid support: therapy, groups,
or classes? Or did you learn by reading, introspecting, journaling or
talking informally with a friend?
Know what you need, both now and over a lifetime.
Paying a coach may be the best investment you can make right now -- or
may be a waste of time and money. They key is to understand your own
growth patterns so you can identify the most effective and enjoyable
way to reach your dreams.
This
article is based on Teach Your Intuition to Send You a Telegram, Not a
Post Card: Using Intuition for Business and Career Decisions. Click here to learn more.
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