How ready are you for coaching?

Coaching can be beneficial at almost any time, but you will find it particularly beneficial when:

• You are looking to take on a new job role, or have just done so
• You keep putting off action or decisions that you know you need to get on with
• You need help with your personal development plan (either creating it, or implementing it)
• You need to improve a specific skill
• You need to change a specific behaviour
• You regularly find that you aren’t achieving what you want from meetings or conversations with others
• You are struggling to set and keep to priorities
• You are trying to manage conflict
• You have doubts in your ability to achieve what is asked of you
• You want to make significant changes in how you manage yourself and/or other people.

In all of these situations, you will get more out of coaching, if you:

• Spend quality time thinking about the issue and how you are going to present it to your coach. (Ask yourself: “Where has my thinking got me to so far?”)
• Consider the questions:
  • Why is this issue important now?
  • What do I know and simply assume about this issue?
  • What has stopped me sorting it already?
• Rehearse in your mind how you will present the issue, so that the coach understands it quickly
• You come with an open mind, prepared to be challenged and self-honest
• Take time before the coaching conversation to settle your mind into a state of creative calm – so put away your i-phone at least five minutes beforehand!

© David Clutterbuck. All rights reserved