“Everybody needs a coach” Bill Gates
Many people hear the phrase ‘everyone needs a coach’ and wonder why? Perhaps they’ve heard Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google) describe one of the best pieces of advice he received was, ‘have a coach’. Or maybe they know there’s more to life and are ready to take that next step but aren’t sure what that step could be. Questions lead to more questions.
Does this sound familiar?
You may be thinking about your own life and wondering how a coach could help – could they really keep you on track and performing at your best.
One thing to clarify from the outset is that coaching is not therapy. Far from it. Coaching is forward looking, practical and action orientated. It is also important to note there are many different styles of coaching. The approach we offer at Is This MyStory is founded upon the principals of positive psychology and use Gallup’s StrengthFinder as a primary tool. Coaching sessions combine Strengths, Mindfulness and Narrative to help you be proactive, manage stress and make confident choices.
Below are answers to frequently asked questions. Also feel free to talk to us. We offer a complimentary, Strategic Connection coaching session that’ll help you clarify your needs and answer questions. As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, experienced Meditation trainer and qualified teacher, you can trust Nicole has the expertise, experience and empathy to be an understanding guide.
Coaching – Frequently Asked Questions
Why use a strengths-based approach?
Strength-based living works on the principle that it’s better to draw out what’s natural than ‘top up’ what’s missing. This is because, every body has their own talents. From a statistical perspective, Gallup explains, the chances of another person having the same top 5 talents as you is 1 in 280,000. The chances of another person having the same top 5 talents, in the same order, is 1 in 33 million. A strengths-based approach works on the principle that
- There are multiple ways to successfully meet an outcome
- Weakness fixing prevents failure, strengths building leads to success
When you work in an area of strength you feel energised and achieve more. This leads to stronger relationships, lower stress, higher levels of interest and consistent success. When you start transferring talents from one area of your life into others, you’ll have more confidence. You’ll see there are different ways to meet an objective and what works for one person may be a challenge for another. The key is being able to identify, articulate and leverage your talents. However, it is the repeated, deliberate practice that builds a talent into a strength. Dan Colye in his book The Talent Code, describes this as ‘Deep Practice’.
How can a strengths-based approach help
A strengths-based approach offers:
- Understanding and acceptance of uniqueness
- A shared language to ask for what you need and explain where you contribute
- Recognition of the link between thoughts, emotion and behaviour
- Confidence when making choices and expressing themselves
- Strategies to manage stress and anxiety
- Understanding of where an individuals talents are being used successfully and how they can repeat the process in other areas
Why combine narrative, mindfulness and strengths?
A strengths approach does not assume people are broken or need fixing. Rather it highlights potential and builds upon what is already present within a person and helps them, make it better. A narrative structure offers an objective scaffold for identifying behavioural patterns and mindfulness provides tools for recognising self-talk and symptoms of stress. Together the three modalities offer a structure for ongoing self awareness, self determination and self activation.
Is coaching the same as seeing a psychologist or therapist?
Working with a strengths coach or trainer is different to counselling or thearapy. Coaching is forward looking and outcomes based. They are not there to find out what’s wrong or fix you. Instead, working with a strengths coach helps the team recognise strengths and see the stories formed by self talk from a more objective point of view. Similar to a fitness coach who provides strength conditioning for the body, a strengths coach and trainer helps the team access their psychological and emotional strength. You’ll develop strategies to apply strength to all areas of life.
How long is a coaching session?
The first session is a Strengths Review that usually takes 90min. During this session we look at results from your Strengths assessment. You’ll learn about your unique talents and how they influence your choices and behaviours. Subsequent sessions are usually 60min and focus on areas such as; how to use your understanding of yourself to do what you need to do, finding direction, managing stress, improving relationships, communicating with confidence.
How long does the Strengths assessment take to complete
Gallup’s Strengths assessment is an online tool. The assessment is taken before the first workshops or coaching session. It includes 177 paired questions and takes between 30 – 40 minutes to complete. The assessment needs to be done in one sitting and the questions are timed to encourage a top of mind response. Participants choose the response that fits best and usually this is your ‘first thought’.
What is the difference between a Talent and a Strength?
Gallup explains a Talent is an innate ability – a person’s deeply, engrained, naturally occurring patterns of thought, emotion and behaviour. A Strength is a combination of natural ability, education and training that produces consistent, near perfect results in a specific task. To move from talent to strength you need to apply skills, knowledge and deep practice.
What is the difference between a skill and a talent?
A skill is something you do well because of your talent. For example, you may be skilled in football – how you play is where you’re using your talent. For instance, two people may have goal scoring skills, however the way they play is probably different.
Does focusing on Strengths mean you forget your weaknesses?
Focusing on Strength does not mean forgetting weakness. Rather you acknowledge a weakness and then manage it using your strengths. Gallup define a weakness is something that gets in the way of your (or someone else’s) success. Often weaknesses are talents that have been over applied, under applied, misapplied or misunderstood.
Remember, you do not need to ‘change’, you simply need to be confident being you. Self awareness is a start. It helps you understand your motivations and frustrations. Getting things done is up to you. Your coach offers strategies and action plans and you do the work. You set the agenda, you determine the outcomes, you choose the direction and you take the steps.
As your coach, I will be there to guide, support and hold the space so you can see where you are, where you want to be and how to get there.
To learn more or join us for a complimentary Strategic Connections coaching session,
contact Nicole; m:0425 209 008 | e: nicole@isthismystory.com
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