Business coaching from the opinion of someone who couldn't possibly need one or benefit from one, right?!

1. SO YOU THINK YOU
DON'T NEED A
COACH?
WRITTEN BY TWIZ KAY

2. My first thought about coaching was that it was completely
unnecessary for me. That it was for other people, not me.
That it was for super professional, mega corporate,
executive, high flying, international business types. Not
me.
Then I met my coach. I liked her immediately and she
made me smile. Later on, in our business relationship, she
made me cry but that’s a different matter.
Coaching really helped me when I was in a role that I had
taken, upon advice from Richard Branson. Well, sort of. I’d
read that he once said ‘if someone offers you an amazing
opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes –
then learn how to do it later’ so I blame him for me
accepting the job.

3. I blame him...

4. Anyway, it turns out that discussing my darkest fears and worries
about taking on a job I didn’t actually think I could do, really helped.
And finding someone who could sensitively listen to my vulnerabilities
and who I could trust not to laugh at me, was very important. I think
that finding a coach is a bit like finding a friend. Some people you meet
are lovely for that moment in time but you know you don’t want to
spend more time with them, sitting around, eating pizza, drinking
prosecco and laughing until your tummy hurts. (Luckily, I found a
coach who I now sit around with, eat pizza with, drink prosecco with
and we most definitely laugh until our tummies hurt.) However, when
picking a coach, you need to realise they will likely be telling you some
tough things to hear, harsh criticisms and truths. So, it’s far nicer if
they have a lovely smile to take some of the sting away from their
words and it definitely helps when they have made you cry.
I didn’t even consider getting references for my coach. I just knew I
wanted to work with her so, I’d suggest, a bit like when choosing a
friend, go with your gut feeling.

5. My coach and I worked together for a while, and I can honestly
say, that without the work we did, I wouldn’t be self-employed now.
The thought processes I go through for business dilemmas are
down to our sessions. I know that when I need to talk in front of
groups of people and I’m feeling terribly nervous, I hear her words
of support and enthusiasm in my head. When I need to be super
professional for a business meeting, I know I can communicate
clearly and achieve my goals for the meeting because of her input
to my career. But mostly, she taught me to be authentic and not try
to be the ‘professional businesswoman’ I had created in my
imagination, based on someone else, not me. So, to summarise,
get a coach. Especially if you think you won’t get anything from a
few sessions with one.
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Written by Twiz Kay, C&H Marketing