Coach Carter
Ok, so I am not Coach Carter and I do not plan any kind of ‘lock down’ for my coachees if they do not attend to their studies. There is however a metaphor in this tale of discipline that draws my attention. Any coaching provider who say that they will only work within their niche is bound to fail in adequately supporting their clients. Similarly if any client comes to me ONLY willing to address ‘career’ issues, then our strategy will not succeed in the long run. This is why:
When we go to work we are not just employees. When we run our businesses we are not just the MD. When we sell our product we are not just sales managers. What we are, whatever our professional role, is whole human beings. If during the coaching process we do not attend to the whole human being then we risk missing the thing that is really skewing your professional development.
Clients arrive before me for a variety of reasons… from ‘feeling unfulfilled‘ in their work to ‘having murderous thoughts’ about their boss…. Our job, as coach and client, is to identify what lies beneath these reactions. Yes, your boss might leave a lot to be desired in his management style, but what has left you tolerating it thus far? Yes, your job may no longer be a good fit for you, but what has happened to make it so? In taking a holistic view of the whole individual as we work tougher enables us to identify the root causes of discontents in our professional world. When life changes happen to us, this will impact on our work. When external markets change it impacts on our work. A we grow older and more knowledgeable, we will perhaps tolerate less of the competitive, ego-based nonsense at work and seek a role that is more value-filled.
Like Coach Carter, who benched his undefeated high school basket ball team for breaking their contract with him regarding their studies and their behaviour, I will be very conscious when you break your contract with yourself and lose self-discipline or lose sight of the bigger picture,. I cannot ‘bench’ you for it, but, I will let you know what I am seeing. I will not hesitate to shine light on both potential and on lack of congruence when I see it. This way, you can pick it right back up again, and design a life and a career that work really well for you.
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