Coaching is a thoughtful, guided process in which the coach partners with clients to help them maximize their personal, professional and team potential. 

(ICF: International Coaching Federation) 

You are probably good at what you do...

You may even be very, very good, but you will never be as good as you could have been with the help of a coach. You wouldn't dream to question this fact in individual or team sports - why would the same not apply to your personal and professional development? 

Effective coaching is as a blend of personal connection and knowledge transfer. It happens within a well-developed structure but needs to be flexible to get sustainable results. Coaching within a professional development scope builds on classical psychology, but not in a clinical sense as the client is not a patient. While he or she may be in a season of significant professional and emotional challenges coaching insists that the client, with the proper professional guidance, is fully capable of reflection, self-correction and sustainable success. It is often said that coaching is not therapy, but it is therapeutic - Having an experienced coach come alongside the client in an open, non-judgemental environment to listen with care and curiosity before co-developing options can make all the difference between surviving and thriving.

A good coach measures you by your potential, not your performance. This includes not only your personal and professional potential, but also potential to experience life to the full: Joy, healthy relationships and mental wellness through a holistic, balanced approach to life. 

It's not about you... 

Not only you, anyway. You may have the privilege to lead people, and that includes a responsibility to assist them in reaching their individual, but also team potential. Coaching can draw out this team potential by breaking down interpersonal barriers through appreciation and communication techniques. Individual coaching for team members communicates thoughtful and caring intent to support and grow employees. 

An authentic focus on Human Sustainability in organizations will be key in attracting and retaining talent - a Personal Development plan focussed on skill development must be enhanced by a comprehensive human-centred program. This must enable individuals to balance profession and purpose, while enhancing resilience in the face of ever-increasing stress leading (frequently) to debilitating anxiety.

Invest in yourself, invest in your team. Invest in Coaching.

To download a ThinkingWell profile summary, click here.

For more on coaching as a professional discipline, click here.