Whats Up With All These Coaches?

If you are anything like me, you may have noticed a tremendous increase in the number of coaches that have appeared recently. Traditionally, coaches existed primarily in the world of sports, but you could also find voice, acting and singing coaches.

Today however, this has all changed. Lifestyle, relationship, personal development, business, soul, life, leadership, executive, career and countless other types of coaching are now widely available. So what can these coaches do for us?

The dictionary defines the term "coach" as "someone who instructs or trains others". From this definition, at least we can draw a potential connection between the coaching profession and ourselves.

So how do you know if you need a coach? Basically, if there are areas of your life which you would like to improve or enhance, the opportunity exists to employ a coach.

The Dream Team

In everyday life, we all employ "specialists" to perform various functions because we have neither the skills nor knowledge to do the job. You wouldn't consider attempting to fill a tooth if you had a toothache - you would go to your dentist. Would you complete your own tax return if your objective was to minimize tax exposure - no, you would visit an accountant. If you were feeling ill, you wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) self-medicate - you would contact your doctor. It all comes down to the fact that these professionals have skills and knowledge that provide faster, better, safer and more satisfying results than you could possibly achieve on your own.

I refer to this group of people as a "Dream Team" ? a group of professionals to help you achieve that which you want ? in the above-mentioned cases, a nice smile, more disposable income and good health.

So why stop there? If there are other areas that you want to change, the same principle applies. If you have a desire to improve your levels of health & fitness, you could join a gym. The problem is that the novelty quickly wears off and, unless you are incredibly disciplined, it is difficult to keep going on your own. There is also the dilemma of not knowing which equipment to use or which exercises to do. In fact, a real issue is not having specific goals at all which will leave you lost. The result? You stop going to the gym and your membership fee is wasted. Even worse, you will feel like a failure which in turn will lower your levels of self-esteem, negatively impacting many areas of your life.

The solution? Get yourself a personal trainer! Make this person part of your Dream Team. Your trainer (or coach) will help you define your goals, provide a specific program to follow and will also give you moral support. This approach offers a much higher likelihood of accomplishing your goals in this area at a much faster rate.

Other areas that most of us want to improve include key relationships, levels of success or financial freedom. Time management and career counseling are other potential areas for improvement.

The problem is most of us don't know how to improve or make things better in these areas. We have our own ways of handling things, along with the inherent issues ? which of course, has us where we are now! We all know that the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results!

The solution of course, is to change your approach, and that could mean finding someone that can help you in the specific area you want to improve ? in other words, a coach, to become part of your Dream Team.

But Whom Do I Choose?

As in all professions, it is a fact that not all coaches are created equal! In order to select a coach, I would recommend spending some time to identify your objectives, create some "interview" questions for potential coaches, define your budget and do some research to compile a list of potential candidates. There are a number of coaching organizations and associations on the web, that have lists of their coaches names, complete with biographies, qualifications and areas of expertise.

When interviewing your prospective coach, ask yourself how comfortable you would feel working with the person. Are they someone to whom you would be comfortable sharing personal information? Do you like them? Do they seem to have an action plan and strategy process that will help you achieve your goals? What is their fee and what can you expect for that level of investment? Can you work with them? Is their interest and commitment mainly around helping you or collecting their fees? Interview 3 ? 5 candidates. Once you are comfortable, make a selection and get started! You will quickly be on the road to achieving your goals.

Please note one thing; hiring a coach, to help you improve the various areas of your life, requires commitment! The process is likely to take several months and you must be prepared to "do the work" that goes along with affecting change in your life. If you are not fully committed to the process, the result will be frustration (for both of you) and failure, not to mention a bunch of money spent on nothing! Affecting meaningful change will take time. Old habits will need to be broken and new, supportive habits created. It took you years to get where you are today, so it is unreasonable to expect that accomplishment of your goals will occur in just a few weeks!

Coaches are not miracle workers; they cannot do the work for you or wave a magic wand to make things easy. What your coach can do is help you to define what it is specifically that you want, work with you to develop strategic and tactical plans of action, provide guidance and moral support in your quest and keep you accountable for following the plan.

With commitment, dedication and a good coach, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish!

About the Author:

Tony Davies is a Business Consultant as well as a Business & Personal Coach. He is an expert in the areas of Leadership and Personal Development and in integrating these two, seemingly different, disciplines. Tony is successful at this as the result of personal experience - a solid business background combined with a passion, and gift, for personal development and helping others.

To find out how Tony can help you to live your best life, check out his website at http://www.momentumbusiness.ca, and contact him directly.

---

Several Red Flags for Spotting a Phony or Scam

The world is full of phonies and scammers these days.... Read More

Discover The Coach Within You

One of the three basic roles of leadership is the... Read More

Relaxation Couldnt Be Simpler

Many people use their sofa and TV to help them... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Living Authentically

1. Know your purposeAre you wandering through life with little... Read More

Coaching for Results

He's a very successful sales manger who craves results. He... Read More

Solution-Focused Therapy

Most types of psychotherapy involve exploring feelings, being validated, finding... Read More

Worth Waiting For

Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 22,... Read More

New Developments Make Christian Life Coaching ?The? Career Choice for Work-At-Home Professionals

I have watched for a couple years now, as my... Read More

How To Deal With People Who Dislike You

When you read books on personal development and articles about... Read More

Be Better at Business ? And Lose Weight, Too!

In business, individuals often secure the services of a success... Read More

What is the Success Lesson in this Story?

One of my clients gave me permission to tell you... Read More

Enhancing Life for a Lifetime

Do you often feel lonely, anxious, or even depressed? Is... Read More

Priorities: Are You Living Yours?

In the Charles Dickens classic, "The Christmas Story", Scrooge is... Read More

Attention! Thought Crossing! ? Or, The Secret of What?s Between Your Ears

What are you thinking - right now? 'I'm reading your... Read More

Magic Potions We All Need This Time of Year

As winter descends we begin to feel the chill of... Read More

What Do You Really Want ?

Being a coach is such a rewarding profession. The enormous... Read More

Searching For Your Calling ? Quest or Curse?

Judging by the extraordinarily positive reader response to Po Bronson's... Read More

Curbing the Public Nuisance (Part 1)

He's been around since the dawn of humanity. His profession... Read More

Viewpoints - Communication Destruction Or....

Viewpoints! Everyone has them and they are personal. However, when... Read More

Voice Care for Coaches

Coaches rely heavily on their voice to service clients. If... Read More

7 Destructive Habits of Incompetent People

WARNING! If you want to have a fantastic life, never... Read More

Whats in it for me if I Hire A Coach?

1. An unshakable foundation:Create and build your life from the... Read More

How To Overcome Stuck States In Personal Growth

Although many of us use self-help tools like affirmations, visualizations,... Read More

Tips For Singles On Celebrating The New Year

It's four weeks away and you don't have any plans.... Read More

The Joy of Learning!

"Part of what motivates me to write this book is... Read More

Coaching Employees - The Chronic Excuser

Most of us find coaching employees to be an effective,... Read More

Can I Be My Own ADD Coach?

Quite often I am in contact with people who discuss... Read More

Think Twice Before Youre Nice

A few months back I had a disturbing dream. In... Read More

Progress Reviews: Your Key To Effective Coaching

One of the most effective ways to help your staff... Read More

The Right Coach

Who is the Best Coach For Achieving Your Goals?A friend... Read More

Its Not What You Think

My work in organizations involves dropping habitual ways of perceiving... Read More

Theres Always Enough Time!

I thought I'd begin this article by stimulating your mind... Read More

Whats Up With All These Coaches?

If you are anything like me, you may have noticed... Read More