Professional Coaching

Navigating life in the workplace is a tricky business. We have our own personal and professional needs that may or may not align with the organization's needs. It is often difficult to obtain balance in our work and personal life and equally as difficult to maintain this balance. Sometimes we over-commit ourselves, while at other times we may feel like taking a long vacation! Also, we ride the waves of our own higher level needs including the needs of recognition, meaning, awareness, personal and professional growth, challenge, etc. Also, we are highly interdependent with other people in either professional or personal relationships who have similar issues of their own. The question then becomes how do we make it all work?

In athletics, every successful athlete has a coach who works with the athlete to bring out the best possible performance that the athlete can achieve. In business, a coach can work in a similar way to:

Help the client become clear about his or her goals.

Define areas where personal or professional growth is desired.

Help the individual map out strategies to attain goals.

Serve as a sounding board and advisor when the client is working through major issues important to him or her.

Help the client develop problem-solving strategies.

Work with the client to help him or her develop effective communication and conflict management techniques.

Be 100% focused on working hand-in-hand with the client to help bring out the client's best possible performance .

What to look for in a coach:

A coach that you feel very comfortable with. The client-coach relationship is very close. The client entrusts personal and professional information to the coach and needs to feel comfortable in doing so.

A coach should have excellent communication skills including: excellent listening skills, ability to honestly, articulately and sensitively communicate information, and the ability to pick up unstated messages.

A coach with a developed sense of intuition and understanding of others.

A coach that is empathetic and emotionally removed from the situation.

A coach that has the ability to organize information, retain focus and keep the process moving.

A coach with integrity.

Robin Amadei of Common Ground has been a training and business coach for seven years. She can help you attain those professional and personal goals. To contact her: RAmadei@aol.com