"What man is a man who does not make the world better?"

- Balian of Ibelin, Kingdom of Heaven

I believe in our small way, we do try and make the world a better place for us all. This quote inspired me so much that I decided to do something concrete about it. I needed to give a name for my effort and that is how HowdenKonsult came about.

WHY DO YOU NEED A COACH?

Most people would have heard about the concept of coaching, although there might be some who are still a little vague on what it actually entails. Many have used the analogy of a sport’s coach to explain coaching, i.e. one who supports the athlete to reach their full potential and the goals and ultimately to succeed in their particular field of sport.

Defined in those terms, it is not surprising then that Executive Coaching is gaining popularity. Who wouldn’t want to have a coach who helps them to reach their full potential and to succeed in reaching their goals? So what is it about coaching that makes it such a powerful tool?

1. Accountability. One of the main reasons is accountability, in our daily lives it’s so easy to get distracted by the chores, and responsibilities of everyday life. A coach’s role is to hold the coachee accountable for the actions that have been agreed in a coaching discussion. What have you done since out last conversation? What held you back? How can we move you forward in this particular area?

But accountability alone is not good enough. After all who wants to hire someone who is just going to make you feel obliged or even worse guilty for not taking action?

2. The Unconditional Support that a coach offers in invaluable: a quiet word of encouragement, a sympathetic ear, and a moment of silence to acknowledge your fears. Someone to pick you up after you’ve fallen, sit a while with you to listen to your doubts, fears, concerns, and then say let’s try this again. What was the reason why that didn’t work? Is there another way to get this to work? What support do you need?

3. The Insight of a third person is being able to see a different perspective. Sometimes it’s difficult to see something clearly when you’ve seen it a 100 times, even when the answers staring you right in the face!  Coaches are trained and encouraged to observe, and be naturally curious. What happens emotionally when you say that? When you do this, how does it improve your interactions? What is your expectation from this situation?

4. The Challenge: Sometimes we all need a little push to get started! A coach is one who will help give you the push and offer you the challenge to step out and progress. We are all tempted to sit back and become complacent without even realizing it! And if we are to continue growing we need to be challenged! What if…that meant something completely different? If you keep going on like this, what’s going to happen?

5. Confidentiality: The best part is that everything discussed with your coach is treated as strictly confidential. Even when your coach is provided through your company, all information is treated as confidential. Any information that is shared will be agreed and contracted by you, your manager and the coach upfront, and feedback is usually at a high-level, pertaining to your overall development.

6. A safe space and a sounding board: Your sessions with a coach offers a safe space to explore what’s going on, what’s stopping you, what your challenges are, and what you need to become successful. The coach acts as a sounding board and allows you the time to think, and play with ideas in order to reflect on the subject at a deeper level. What are your resistances, do you really want to achieve x, what’s really going on here? And through this very effective process you are able to reach a solution that will address the situation completely.

7. Belief in yourself: Above all a coach is trained to develop your belief in yourself. Pay attention to what you are saying, feeling, and doing. Understand what you want and to become confident in knowing that the answer lies within you!

How does coaching work:

A coach will partner with you, and act as a catalyst to achieve your goals. A coach has a unique perspective and is trained on a specific methodology that evokes curiosity, and reflection. If you want to truly succeed, and achieve something extraordinary, a coach is essential!