Why I Became a Coach
When I was a professor, I loved watching the light bulbs go on with the students as new information fascinated and motivated them to know and learn more. It was one of the great gifts of teaching. As I moved into government service as a manager and leader, I found that I became more distant from those moments. I missed them. In teaching and working with students, I felt like I was touching lives and future paths. In this new realm, I began to provide mentoring and opportunities for employees to stretch themselves and explore different roles in the organization. I watched them blossom and experience new perspectives in their work.
Then, as a candidate in the Senior Executive Service Development program, I was provided with a coach. As an athlete, I understood what coaches did to improve my performance and skills. But, how did that work for me as a leader and executive? I was fortunate to receive coaching from a person who reflected my strengths and soft spots. In doing this, she artfully worked with me to find my own solutions to continue to work with my strengths and enhanced awareness on how to improve those soft spots (some might call them weaknesses – although the athlete in me thinks of strength training and practice that improve performance). One area we worked on quite early in coaching was assessing my core values.
At first, I wondered why that was important. Then, as I articulated my values I understood how a value can be both a strength and a weakness. Specifically, one of my core values is respect. It is an asset for those I work for, because I believe it is important to treat them with respect. It is a challenge for me when I feel disrespected. I learned to pause and then seek to understand when confronted with that feeling. My coach was a confidential and trustworthy ally as I moved forward in my career. I had been provided with the wonderful gift of coaching – now what?!
I wanted to provide coaching to others. Fortunately, my agency developed an internal coaching program within “Leaders Growing Leaders.” I requested the opportunity to develop my own coaching skills and work with aspiring leaders. Honestly, the best days at work were those when I had appointments with my clients. All aspects of the day became quiet as I was inspired by a client’s motivation to improve their skills and achieve the goals of being a great leader. They wanted to make a difference and seek ways to encourage their employees and colleagues to join them in the journey. Wow! I became a coach to enable people to clear their path towards a better future. One that enhances the skills they already possess as well as avoid patterns that may get in way. This path weaves all aspects of their work and touches their lives. The light bulbs shine brightly!
