Coaching is one of the fastest growing industries on the planet. I’m talking Life, Executive Leadership, Business, Relationship, Wealth, Health, Youth, Career, etc…these are just a few of the different coaching swim lanes you will find popping up everywhere, with more emerging every day.
And as with any rapidly growing business, the likelihood that there are many, as my own Coach calls them- “charlatans, pretenders, & violators” in this business are quite high.
Now don’t get me wrong- the need for coaching services across multiple industries is also quite high, so I welcome any/all aspiring Coaches who take the time to invest in their own education about what a Coach is and isn’t, goes through the rigorous process of becoming certified or accredited, and who holds themselves to the highest standards in our industry.
Unfortunately, many don’t. And because of that, myths abound.
Here are 7 myths about my industry and the truth behind those myths- critical considerations for you to explore before you decide to hire a Coach.
MYTH #1: A Coach will tell me what to do and I’ll do it, and then my life will change.
This is probably the biggest misconception about what Coaches do. There are certainly ‘Coaches’ (visualize my finger quotes here) you can hire that will do just that- tell you what to do, but that is NOT a Coach, certainly not a good one.
An effective Coach knows that the Client is the one with the answers. Always. They’re just not yet aware that they have the ability to find and/or create those answers. It’s in this evocative coaching partnership where awareness is raised, and solutions begin to surface.
Giving a Client an answer deprives them from the experience of self-discovery, and it’s THAT consciousness that is life-changing.
MYTH #2: I can replace my Therapist or Psychiatrist with a Coach.
A Coach is NOT either of these things. They are very different and should not be confused. A Coach should never replace a Therapist or Psychiatrist, either, although a Coach can be an effective addition to them.
One of the biggest differences is that therapy and psychiatry/psychology often deal with past issues and work to resolve them from that perspective. They tend to be reactive in their approach. Coaching is forward-focused and is proactive and is not intended or equipped to deal with more serious mental issues. The distinction is critical.
MYTH #3: A Coach can also be my Mentor.
So, this is not completely a myth, as a Coach CAN also be a Mentor. But again, the distinction needs to be clear, and the boundary respected, especially on the part of the Coach for the same reason mentioned in the previous myth. ‘Telling’ can often deprive the Client from the learning experience and that learning should be the priority always.
However, there are times when a Client might be stuck and would be aided by the sharing of an experience or idea on the part of the Coach. When this is the case, a Coach should make their role very clear. I’ll often ask my Clients if I can take off my Coach hat and put on my Mentor hat, just to be overt in creating clarity about the two.
MYTH #4: I’ll invest in a couple of coaching sessions and be done with it.
Only if you want to change nothing and continue to produce the same results in your life that you always have.
Just as it took time- perhaps a lifetime- to build the habits and beliefs that you have now, it takes time to break the ones that don’t serve you and replace them with ones that do. Without the discipline of repetition and the structure of support that coaching offers, it’s too easy to slip right back into your comfort zone- into what’s familiar.
Coaching is a marathon, not a sprint. I CAN tell you that it won’t take a lifetime to completely transform your life, not if you’re serious about doing the work of transformation. I’ve seen it happen in months, although the longer the investment in what serves you, the greater the likelihood is that you’ll sustain that transformation.
MYTH# 5: I can change on my own- I don’t need a Coach.
Sure you can. How’s that working for you? If you could do it on your own, you would have already, and you wouldn’t be reading this, or be curious about the coaching partnership.
MYTH #6: A Coach must be pretty arrogant to think they know what’s best for me.
You’d be right. Anyone who thinks they know best for you is indeed arrogant and grossly mistaken. Because YOU are your highest human authority on what is best for you. A Coach’s role is in 1) asking the questions that help you determine what that is, 2) challenging you on your B.S. when it doesn’t serve you (that’s your Belief System, by the way, and 3) holding you accountable to the commitments you make to yourself to move you in the direction YOU decide is best.
MYTH #7: Working with a Coach won’t help me get results any faster.
HUGE misperception! Why do you think almost every professional athlete, most highly successful businesspeople, artists, actors, and human beings work with a Coach at some point in their careers?
Because it makes a difference! Partnering with someone who’s achieved the results you’re looking for, who has a track record of success in that arena, who has demonstrated that this collaboration changes lives through the testimonials of others, CAN AND WILL help you fast-track your results, too!
As I mentioned previously, if you’re willing to enter this partnership with transparency and openness, and are willing and committed to doing the work of the work- and it’s HARD work, no question- then you will see results shift in just about every area of your life, because it’s all anchored in how and what you think. THINKING is the unlock.
So now that you have a clearer picture of what coaching is and isn’t, you have a decision to make. Will you invest in your greatest asset- YOU? Or will you choose to perpetuate the myths that keep the seemingly unmovable lid on your potential?
Choose.
Choose You.
Because nothing changes until you do.
Choice Is Your SuperPower.®
