Coaching – What It is …
The International Coaching Federation (ICF), defines coaching as “partnering in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires a person to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
That’s an elegant summary, and you might be wondering what that would mean specifically for you and your life. The best way to discover that is to actually experience coaching so that you can appreciate these shifts from the inside out. For you can read about growth and change and flourishing or step into the transformational journey itself.
It’s often recommended to interview a few coaches to find the right fit. You want to be working with someone who can see your potential (even when you can’t see it yourself), someone who will rally for your goals and dreams while making sure they really are your goals and dreams, someone who can hold the space for your evolutionary process and any blocks (including self-doubt) that may get in the way, someone who can celebrate both your being and becoming.
The process is client-led. The coach’s job is to “lead from behind,” often by asking stimulating questions that expand and deepen the conversation in ways perhaps not yet seen or even imagined. A good coach will hear and read between the lines of what you’re saying to help evoke a truer, more powerful you to emerge. The process and end result (though there is no end to the journey of self-discovery and transformation) are the same: to support you in discovering and manifesting a life that is deeply fulfilling and authentically yours.
… And Why It’s Important
We don’t always see our potential, or our blind spots. It can be enormously helpful, time- and energy-saving, and much more fun to have someone who is looking out for our best interests even when we can’t see them ourselves.
Self-confidence is a muscle. A coach can help us build this muscle through validation and acknowledgment of our visions, goals and dreams.
Daily life is seriously distracting. It’s so easy to be pulled off our path and it can take many reminders and sometimes gentle but tough love to get ourselves back on track and moving forward.
Accountability matters. We can all use someone to report to, somewhere where it matters not just that we put in our time but also how we show up in our lives.
We all need a good listening to. When we are heard and seen, we develop trust in ourselves and trust in the world.
Despite the myth of the self-made man or woman, none of us are who we are just on our own. We all need support.
Sometimes we need permission and encouragement to think and act outside the box.
To be able to make real and lasting change, safety is required. A coach creates safe space for the transformational process.
Friends and family are not always equipped to stand for us when we need cheering or to challenge us when we are operating less effectively. A coach can deliver honest feedback with skill and clarity, kindness and compassion.
Seeing a bigger picture puts our challenges in perspective. A coach helps with this. Being able to hold our foibles in context and with humor is one of the best medicines there is – yes, we laugh in coaching! – and this releases the requisite energy to take the next step toward our dreams.
A Note about Group Coaching
I coach individuals, and I coach groups.
In individual coaching, you concentrate on your projects and process and drill down through your particular needs and desires via focused, one-to-one conversations. In group coaching, you receive the value of many hearts and minds supporting you as you also support them. Learning from and sharing in each others’ journeys, you expand your vision and benefit from the sometimes “magical” synchronicities that can happen when a group of sincere, committed individuals come together to grow into greater versions of themselves. Each person’s honest inquiry, courage, creativity, practice, and deep self-permission grants the same for all.
Coaching in a group setting involves one person being coached at a time while the others hold sacred space for the unfolding process. Everyone benefits, for while the surface content may be unique from one to another, the coaching journey most often touches on themes profoundly relevant and inspiring for all.
At times, I create a group template and invite people to join; other times folks approach me with an idea for a group and members ready to play. Group programs often have an overarching theme and sub-themes (e.g., monthly topics) within that. If you have an idea for a group or an already-formed group that is looking for a coach, please be in touch! I would love to explore the possibilities with you.
What Clients Are Saying…
I have had the great privilege of being coached by Susan Drouilhet over the past 10 years, and it has been a transformative experience for me professionally and personally. I, too, have been a professional coach for the past 25 years. I have been coached by top-notch coaches around the world. And I consider Susan to be the best of the best.
Her understanding and integration of coaching theories into practice are solid. Seeing me as a whole and resourceful person, she never resorted to advice or recommendations. Instead, she took me on a path into my knowing. Mining from me insights that truly motivated me to change, evolving me closer to the person I want to become. This is coaching at its best!
Susan is the perfect partner to take with you as you grapple and work to develop your full human potential. She has mastered the art and science of coaching, which, combined with her intellect, wisdom, and compassion, makes one lucky to have her as a coach.
Sara Miller, Arkansas, USA