Coaching changed my life!
I realise that might sound a little dramatic, but it’s genuinely true— let me explain why I feel confident to make such a bold statement.
It all started with a plan…
My story is potentially similar to yours. From a young age I knew what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’ and I spent my scho
ol years making choices that would lead me to that job. In my teens that developed into big ideas about having a successful career, the perfect family, house and car to go with it!
But the plan changed…
Then life happened, I started to deviate from the plan, and I realised I actually wasn’t sure what career I wanted.
After several years in Organisational Development at a large organisation, I was promoted and began managing staff for the first time. Being a manager wasn’t ever part of the plan, but I was up for the challenge. The phrase ‘accidental manager’ is used a lot these days and I would say that definitely applied to me. I was the right fit for the role but had no experience of what it was to be a leader.
The team I was leading were older and more experienced than me and had once been my peers. I found that challenging. Trying to find the balance of being credible, assertive and confident.. and feeling anything but.
That was when I first experienced coaching. My manager at the time was a qualified coach and instead of giving me the answers (which I so desperately wanted!) she asked me questions about what I wanted to do, how I wanted to feel and how I was going to approach leading my team. She empowered me to make my own decisions and with that my confidence and belief in myself grew.
I also realised something that would be a game changer for me. I didn’t need to have all the answers! The people I managed were the experts at what they did and had their own answers / solutions. I just had to support and empower them to find those solutions.
That’s when I attended a coaching skills course and started to implement the techniques I had learnt in my leadership approach. Meaning I didn’t have to have all the answers and instead trusting in my team that they did – and helping them to realise their own potential.
You’ve guessed it, the plan changed again…
A few years later, after my son was born, I returned to work following a year of maternity leave. Prior to becoming a parent, ‘work me’ was very different. I was the person who would come into work early, leave late and work weekends. Always focussed on getting the job done no matter what impact that had on my home life.
I was organised, 100% committed and work was my top priority. I was climbing the career ladder and when I returned from maternity leave, I was going to climb it even further.
But when I got back to work my priorities and ambition had changed. The plan I once had, wasn’t the plan I wanted to follow anymore. I felt lost and every bit of confidence I had built felt to melt away.
This led to my first one-on-one session with an Executive Coach. Another game changer for me!
Having the time and space just to think about what was going on in my own head. Being able to be brutally honest without fear of judgement, feeling safe that my thoughts wouldn’t be shared with someone else and knowing that my coach trusted and believed in me to find my own solutions – was everything I needed in that moment.
I was supported and challenged and with every session the ‘noise’ in my head became less and my plans became clearer. My coach never gave me any advice and although that felt odd at first, I realised that advice would only have added to the ‘noise’ and actually I did know what I needed to do.
I was hooked! and I wanted to support others to feel the same way I did. I wanted to be able to provide the space for others to realise their potential and recognise their ability to move forward and plan the future they wanted. I completed my first coaching qualification, and the plan changed again!
The plan continues to change…and that’s good!
I truly believe in the positive impact that coaching can have and that is why it integral to all the work that I do and why I feel confident to say It has changed my life!
My career is now focused on supporting individuals through 1:1 coaching, and bringing the same approach to my work with teams and organisations. I believe in the power of creating the right conditions for exploration — and that we all hold the potential to achieve.
I still access coaching myself, particularly in those moments when I know what I need to do, but for some reason I’m just not doing it. We’re all human, and sometimes we need someone to gently challenge our thinking.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If it’s sparked something for you and you’d like to explore coaching for yourself, I’d love to hear from you