In my chemistry calls, sometimes the value question comes up, and more often it’s in the subtext of the conversation. I can almost hear the words in the mind of the person on the other end of the call… ‘Sounds exactly like what I need, how can I be sure to know it will work?’.
The value from coaching is unquantifiable up front. This is feedback from a coachee of mine:
“You helped me look into things in a new way, seeing connections I hadn’t seen before. I found it invaluable going into such depth on some things like values that are typically handled so superficially.”
The fact that ‘connections’ was going to be the insight that would shift the mindset of this coachee would have been unknown up front. The work needs to be done for the value to show itself.
Another one:
“You helped me own my future, and step up to things like it was my responsibility to change the way things were going, because as an adult nobody else is going to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.”
For this coachee, it was a sense of responsibility and accountability that sparked change.
Committing to explicit outcomes that are really unknown is unethical as a coach, as it’s very hard to say exactly what will be different for each person on the other side. This can lead to information bias and the misconception that because the outcomes for you personally are not explicitly stated up front, the value is underestimated.
Don’t let this information bias hold you back. There is immense and powerful value in working with an effective coach. I know this first hand from working with coaches over the last few years to make change happen in my own life, and I see it everyday in the experience of the people I coach. (Watch any sports documentary if you’re still not sure!).
The value is different for everyone. Sometimes simply being heard is significant:
“You are a fantastic listener and guided me through some very difficult emotions and experiences when I truly needed it – and without judgment to boot. It really helped me feel like someone cared, which meant a lot to me.”
And it’s not entirely dependent on the coach. Working with a coach is a partnership, and depends as much on the coach as the coachee. To know that you will get value from coaching, you want to ask yourself these questions:
Am I ready and willing to turn up and be honest with myself?
Am I open to change?
Do I trust the coach?
Choose trust over comfort. Being a little uncomfortable with a coach does not mean they are not a right fit for you, be open to working with someone who has differences to you and see if you can understand what’s causing the discomfort. If they are misaligned to your beliefs or values that is one thing, but if it is because you are a little worried they will call you out, challenge you, that’s not a bad thing.
When my work with a client comes to an end, I ask them:
“What 3 words would you use to describe the benefits you received from working together?”
Below are the words that are shared with me.
The most frequent benefits that clients experience in working together are: clarity, insight, courage and confidence.
Do you need more clarity of thought?
Would insights help you to determine what to focus on and where to start?
Have you lost steam and losing time, and a boost to your courage and confidence could get you motivated again?
If you’re ready, I’m ready. Let’s do some work.
Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash.