Recently we were in NYC where we saw the play If Then. The play’s premise is that it follows the lives led, as well as the lives that might have been. So it got me thinking about my professional life and what it is and what it could have been if I had known about and secured a coach. 

We are all the sum of many parts, some known, some not. In my professional life, I can think of two bosses that saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. My first boss (when I was just barely 21) sent me off to ask a high governmental official a question about our organization. This official and his department had recently made a decision that had a significant impact on our ability to deliver services. Just because my boss thought I could do it, I did. He had confidence in my ability that I never had, but I wasn’t about to let him or the organization down. 

Another boss, much later in my career, gently guided my decisions through a calm and unflappable demeanor. He trusted my decisions and never questioned how I used my time – he expected outcomes and he got them.

Not unlike many people, the professional life I have led is a complete accident and mostly determined out of a necessity to support myself. I can’t think back to a time where I consciously made a decision based on a vision for my professional future until I enrolled in an executive coaching course. Bam! Talk about taping a passion. At that moment, I knew this is what I am meant to do to round out my professional life and to bring my best self to my coaching relationships.

Why a coach? The International Coach Federation suggests that working with a coach brings many wonderful benefits: fresh perspectives on personal challenges, enhanced decision-making skills, greater interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence. And, the list does not end there. [1]

When I reflect on my professional journey (the if then), I go back to challenges, relationships, and situations where, if I had worked with a coach, I might have made different decisions. A coach could have helped me with gaining clarity about the issue, help me create options, and support me in achieving outcomes with an expectation of accountability. 

Now, as a coach, I have a coach. Why don’t you? Are you or your organization new to working with a coach? Contact me and let us explore options together.