The process of becoming a certified professional coach is generally demanding. After hours and hours of classroom time, practice coaching sessions, written assignments, observed sessions, and exams you are on your way. Phew! Of course, you can become a coach without much of this by just slapping on a name-tag but for those of us that are truly dedicated and committed to this new industry we put in the work up front to ensure we are taking the proper approach in partnering with our clients. Soon, coaches find out that their job is actually quite painless. At least, in comparison to the coachee.
True coaching gets down into the nitty-gritty of the coachee’s heart and soul, finding not only what makes them tick but what might sting as well. The peeling of the onion to reach this point is often a long, somewhat confusing rabbit hole. The coach might ask powerful questions to help the coachee find realize some insights bringing the light back into focus without any bother to the coach. However, the journey for the coachee is often exactly the opposite.
As a coach senses uncomfortableness with a client, it is a great opportunity to partner with them and be curious about that emotion. While this may be unsettling for the coachee in the hot seat, it is actually an effective tool for uncovering their consolation prize – a new place of comfort. Being pushed beyond contentment often allows the growth needed to find fresh perspective and therefore an alternative benchmark.
So, as you embark on any coaching journey remember that professional coaches are trained to sense discomfort, ask your permission to have sensed such, and partner with you to explore it. The answers you seek may lie right within it, you just needed someone to guide you through it.