About a year ago, I had the opportunity to watch some of the world’s top golfers practicing before the start of their round at an annual PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) golf tournament held in Scottsdale, Arizona. The distance from which these golfers were hitting the golf ball was mind-blowing. The ease which they curved or shaped the ball left and right, and controlled the trajectory (i.e. the height of the ball in flight) with each swing was an incredible sight.
As good as these professional golfers are, I was amazed that the players whom I observed had a coach with them as they practiced. Intriguingly, most of the world’s top athletes, no matter the sport, have personal coaches to assist them as they further sharpen their skills. As I continued to watch the golfers practice, I wondered why this concept has not caught on with the rest of us who are doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, professors, teachers, business people, leaders, managers, etc.? It has certainly been discussed by many great thought leaders in the coaching field; however, the idea of a coach for everyone, no matter their role in the organization, is still rare.
What exactly is coaching anyway? There are many definitions available; however, the one I like most is from the book, “Coaching for Performance” by John Whitmore. In this book, Whitmore describes how Timothy Gallwey, author of The Inner Game series of books, correctly defined coaching as follows:
“…Gallwey had put his finger on the essence of coaching. Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” (Whitmore, 2002, p. 8)
Imagine if average professionals leveraged a personal coach or someone who could help them continuously hone their skills. Just like the personal coaches for athletes do, in the same vein, a good coach can:
- Help individuals continue to improve their craft
- Provide unbiased feedback on the individual’s performance
- Provide tools and techniques to overcome obstacles when the coach is not around
- Provide motivation when it is needed most
There are many genres of personal coaches available such as executive, life, and career development coaches. However, this article focuses on the value of career development coaches where the primary aim, among other things, is to assist individuals with getting the most out of their careers.
Most people think that if they excel in school and surround themselves with like-minded, successful people, then they will have opportunities to do very well in their careers. Generally, this is true. In my experience, hard work, determination, perseverance, and talent will definitely propel you far in your career. However, many of us still need guidance and advice from a professional who can be our personal sounding board, provide feedback, help hold us accountable, and provide motivation when it is needed most.
Who Benefits from Career Development Coaching?
Career development coaching helps individuals unlock their full potential and achieve many of the goals they have dreamed of attaining in their career. Traditionally, individuals graduating from college receive some minor career development advice, but not sustained coaching throughout the course of their career per se. However, career development coaching isn’t only designed for those who are just embarking on their career journey; it also targets those who have gone deep into their career and those at the highest levels of corporations.
Executives Need Career Development Coaching Beyond Executive Coaching
Although it is less common, executives who are leaders in companies around the world also need coaching to successfully continue advancing in their career. You may think it’s not that important for executives to require career development coaching because they have already reached their pinnacle. Notwithstanding, that is certainly not the case and, truth be told, it is because top-level executives often have no one to confide in or they’re too busy to ask for assistance.
Executives often face many challenges in their career coupled with the fact that they also shoulder the full weight of the company. In addition to their responsibilities, executives usually take on challenges that employees encounter. Consequently, their development and progression can easily become neglected, and they can begin to feel stagnant within their career. Therefore, a career development coach can help an executive find new and innovative ways to tackle challenges that they may face.
By doing this, they’ll be in a position to make challenges less influential on their daily lives. Therefore, this enables them to concentrate on doing their job to the best of their ability. Subsequently, they’ll start to flourish, become even better as a professional and an individual. They can also take a chance at moving forward in their career with happiness.
Why Career Development Coaching Is Important for Everyone
If an executive who has already found a substantial amount of success in his or her career needs career development coaching, then it is quite reasonable that everyone else would also benefit significantly from career development coaching as well. People at all levels within a company can face issues when it comes to their career. For example, sometimes individuals may feel that there are no progression paths available to them or that they are no longer challenged in their current roles. When this occurs, most times, it is beneficial to have someone with whom these challenges can be discussed or someone who may simply provide an objective opinion.
With career development coaching, individuals who are struggling in their career will be able to achieve more than they could ever imagine. This is because a career development coach will help guide them through obstacles, help set goals to stimulate their mind and motivate them to be the very best professional they can be. This will then allow individuals to perform consistently and evolve as professionals to either secure more responsibility and, more importantly, become happier in their current role.
In addition to encouraging people to continue progressing in their profession, career development coaches can also help people determine a suitable positive direction to embark upon in their career. When someone is unhappy with his or her current role, it can be challenging or confusing to know what to do next, especially if the person has been in that position for many years. In such situations, that person’s skills, interests, and ambitions will all be taken into account to determine his or her next step.
Why Career Development Coaching for Employees is also important for Companies
Companies also benefit from their employees having career development coaches as well. Typically, employees and team members who make use of career development coaching find a sense of purpose in their work because they seem to possess a different perspective gained through their coaching sessions. With a renewed sense of purpose, they tend to be happier at work. This often leads to the following achievements at the company level:
- Lower overall attrition
- Higher productivity
- Higher morale
- Increased quality of work delivered
- More independence resulting in less direction needed from managers
All of these achievements can be easily measured so that companies may quantify the positive impact derived from their members receiving career development coaching.
In Summary
Generally speaking, just like the case with coaches for professional athletes, there are many benefits attached to career development coaching both to the individual and to the company. After all, a career takes up a significant portion of one’s life. If there is assistance available from a career development coach to help make all of us a little happier, satisfied and content in our career, it is only logical that we take advantage of it.
References:
Whitmore, J. (2002). Coaching for Performance: GROWing People, Performance, and Purpose. London: Nicholas Brealey., 8
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Dr. Milton Mattox is an Executive Coach, CEO Peer Group Facilitator, Motivational Speaker, Author and Technologist who has worked with some of the world’s most acclaimed companies. An authority in helping CEOs overcome everyday business challenges to achieve the success that they seek, career coach and expert in “all things technology-based,” he continues to practice the leadership techniques and methodologies outlined in his books and articles to successfully increase return on investment for companies, organizations, and individuals seeking to be all that they desire to be in life.
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