This Is What Happened When I Hired My First Coach

I hired my first coach years ago. I was dealing with some intense job stresses that had gotten so bad I was having chest pains (don’t tell my mom). My intention when hiring this coach was to develop tools to help me better work with difficult people. We all experience difficult people, right?

At the same time I hired this coach, I was taking my first courses in a coach training program. There I was learning to become a coach while working with my first coach. There was only one problem…

For me, simply gaining tools for working with specific difficult people meant I had set the bar too low.

About halfway through the engagement with my coach, I realized the organization I was working for was no longer a fit for me; and I was no longer a fit for the organization. I shifted my intention to finding another job that would be a better fit. Less than three months later, I had begun a new job that was less stressful and provided me the mental bandwidth to continue my coach training. During my time with that organization I worked hard to help it fulfill its mission while completing my coach training and receiving my first credential from the International Coach Federation.

Prior to hiring that first coach, I had become stuck. I had forgotten that I had choices. And even though I set a low bar when I began working with my coach, my work with her created a framework that will serve me the rest of my life.

In a future post I look forward to telling you how this experience with coaching continues to influence how I work with my clients.

Until then, take care and be well.