Be Your Own Coach
Here's a contrarian approach to coaching. I tell my clients from the start my goal donate car charity for them to fire me. Fire me not as a result of ineffective coaching but because they have the tools and insights needed to coach themselves.
When I can quickly outlive my usefulness by empowering another human being, there is great satisfaction.
When is a client ready to fire? When the following conditions are true:
1. Consistently asking the kind of questions that prompt quality answers.
2. Observing the hook of old stories and self talk.
3. Choosing new responses when the hook appears.
4. Take small steps everyday toward a stated ideal life.
A client recently fired me in this context. Here's what she said about the experience:
"When you first told me your goal was to get fired, I didn't get it. But now that I have fired you, I feel more confident. It means that I am no longer stuck and getting in my own way. And when I do get stuck, I know what to do to support myself."
Imagine a world where a portion, say 30%, of all people have developed the ability to be fully accountable? Where accepting reality as it is, then making powerful choices to take purposeful action is the norm. What if our energy was geared toward looking for what's right, accepting what isn't and acting to do our part to improve it?
I shiver with delight at the possibility.
As a teacher and coach, this is my mission. To create the learning space for full accountability in support of as many people as I can reach in this lifetime.
Nancy Ballinger is a leadership coach and consultant. She is using her life and corporate lessons to help people get out of their own way and "Let Their Leader Loose." She believes, "We all have a leader in us screaming to get out and do amazing things in the world however large or small!" Find her at href="bringingleadersforward.com">bringingleadersforward.com. Nancy can be reached at href="mailto:nncyballinger@yahoo.com">nncyballinger@yahoo.com.
