4 ways executive coaching can help you become your best self

The proactive and collaborative process of dedicated executive coaching is an amazing thing. If you find yourself at a professional crossroads, asking yourself questions such as ‘Where am I at? Where do I want to go? What could I change?’, then the solution-focused nature of a coaching relationship could be a perfect fit for you.

There’s so much evidence to be found supporting the value and benefits of coaching, and it’s used by some of the corporate world’s most successful and self-aware people. Three compelling benefits to using a coach are accountability, objectivity and collaborative goal setting, and it’s those reasons I’d like to unpack a bit more today.

Accountability

So many people find they’re exceptional at setting goals, but not so dedicated when it comes to following through with the actions to achieve them!

A professional coach will hold you accountable to a higher standard than you might set and maintain yourself. This helps overcome self-limiting beliefs, lack of self-confidence, or a subconscious bias towards only achieving what is comfortable. And accountability really is the glue that ties your goal to your result.

The secret is to surround yourself with people who don’t force you to do better, but who inspire. Who motivate. And who help you change your mindset. Because when you’re responsible for yourself, you do your best. We all do. But when you’re accountable to another? You do better.

Objectivity

You might be familiar with the phrase, ‘it’s hard to see the wood for the trees’. It happens to everyone; you’re so invested in or close to the life you’re living that you truly can’t step outside yourself.
Coaching, if you commit to being open minded and willing to change, allows someone else to bring clarity and definition to your goal setting. It’s the objective voice when it comes to figuring out what’s not working. It’s the collaborative and supportive partner who helps you move outside of that comfort zone. And it’s that motivator you need to continually push yourself to hit those targets. Because let’s face it – in order to achieve great things we all need someone objective to give us a good kick up the butt every now and then!
Importantly, coaching is an investment in you that comes without the ‘baggage’ generated from negative thought patterns. Objective, honest and challenging. And with no bulls–t.

Collaborative goal-setting

Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In coaching, it’s exactly this notion which shows us how working in collaboration with someone who has your interests in mind will open up your goal setting like nothing else.
Working with an experienced coach to set your intentions, rather than going it alone, can drastically increase your chances of hitting targets that align with your overall goals.
Social innovator Michele L. Sullivan is a huge fan of collaboration – it’s the cornerstone of her work. Always one to defy commonly held beliefs, Sullivan says the only shoes you can really walk in are your own. But, she says, “with compassion, courage and understanding we can walk together, side by side”. Coaching draws on this philosophy and employs a collegiate, collaborative goal setting process to help you succeed and become your best self.
The very best coaches work in your best interests. They show perception, insight, diplomacy, sound judgment and objectivity. They engage you in honest conversation, helping you know yourself better and work more mindfully. They call you out when you need it. And they respect that you’re capable of generating your own solutions; listening, challenging and inspiring you to identify and work towards actionable outcomes.

Success breeds success

Coaching is incredibly worthwhile, both professionally and personally. When you employ the services of a coach, his or her ability to navigate conversations with sensitivity and to address the hard questions with objectivity (and humour!) should help you set excellent solution-focused goals.
And the beauty of coaching is that as you achieve, you build momentum. This gives you the confidence to keep revaluating your goals, and the motivation and commitment to keep achieving.
The achievement of these goals within the supportive environment that a coaching relationship offers truly will bring you closer to the best version of yourself.
Because the reality is, no-one is coming to save you. This life is yours. 100%.

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