Coaching creates awareness. And you can only change the things you are aware of. It really is that simple. At the same time, choosing change takes courage. You need quite a bit of nerve to question yourself. To admit: "I don't want this any more. I want something to change."
It's your move
We humans don't like change. And yet sometimes it is necessary, because what is there now is not what you want. The good news is that you don't have to face it alone: you have me as a coach at your side. As a coach, I do flirt with your comfort zone. Because sometimes you simply need a nudge to bring out the best in yourself. But you decide. You set the direction.
Coaching is ideal if you want to achieve your goals and explore your potential fully and in complete safety
Does coaching really make that much difference? Yes. I speak from personal experience. But I could also tell you a hundred stories of people who, by sitting still for just a moment with whatever was asking for attention, then grew twice as fast towards their goal. On both a personal and a professional level.
The difference ‘before and after coaching’ is something you can taste, measure and experience every day
Coaching is not talking for the sake of talking, but aims for fast and lasting results. There really is a ‘before and after’. You have a challenge, you know where you want to get to, and together we look at what exactly is standing in the way of reaching your goal. All you have to do is be willing to face your strengths and weaknesses, search together for solutions to get around the obstacles ... and then go all in.
What can you expect from coaching?
Coaching is a partnership. It is a creative process in which together we dare to question things. In the complex and uncertain world we live in today, that is truly important. As a coach, I assume that you are the expert on your life and work. You are creative, resourceful and whole as a person: you have everything within you to see solutions yourself. My task is to
discover, clarify and illuminate together with you what you want to achieve
encourage you to discover more and more of yourself and your desires
inspire you to come up with solutions and strategies yourself
make you aware that you alone are responsible for your life and development
This process has a major influence on your work and life, creates personal leadership and develops your potential. Coaching inspires you to get the maximum out of your personal and professional potential. It brings:
Broader perception > You gain a clear view of new possibilities that also bring more choices – nothing is black and white
Change > Step by step, you learn new habits and skills that help you reach your goal
Resilience > You get better at putting things in perspective, dealing with the – sometimes harsh – reality of everyday life and handling change more flexibly
Self-confidence > You get to know yourself better and become aware of your qualities and assets – because yes, you do have them
Self-knowledge > You become aware of what is truly important to you, which makes it so much easier to reach your goals
Focus on goals > You maximise your potential and improve your work performance in the areas that are relevant to you
Positivity > You become more self-aware and gain tools to improve your relationships, communication skills and work-life balance – so you naturally stand more positively in life
Which themes are suitable for coaching?
There are as many themes as there are people. Sometimes it isn’t even so clear to yourself what ‘the problem’ actually is. That’s perfectly fine. We untangle the knot together. Here are a few coaching themes to give you an idea:
Who am I?
What do I want from my life/work?
How do I find my dream job?
How do I get more work-life balance?
Why does the same thing always happen to me?
How do I get my motivation back?
How do I prevent another burnout?
Why do I feel like doing nothing?
What is my mission/purpose?
Do I even have talents?
What are my values?
How do I communicate with impact?
How do I reach my goals?
How do I boost my self-confidence?
Do I dare to start a business?
How do I deal with change?
How do I deal with conflict?
...
What is the role of your Coach, and what is your role as Coachee?
As a coach, I don’t map out your life and career. After all, you are the expert on your life and know better than anyone what is good for you. In your development process, I do provide the necessary support:
I listen attentively to get to know your specific situation, blockages and desires
I provide objective tools and observations that increase your self-awareness and your awareness of others
I support you in developing your possibilities and potential, challenging you to leave your comfort zone if that helps to develop your personal strengths and desires
I promote shifts in your thinking patterns so you arrive at new perspectives
I am a sounding board for you to explore your possibilities, draw up a well-thought-out plan or make decisions
I help you uncover blind spots in order to shed light on new possibilities and devise alternative scenarios
I maintain professional boundaries in our coaching relationship, such as confidentiality, and follow the code of ethics of the coaching profession.
You as coachee
set your coaching agenda based on coaching goals that are relevant to you
are open to tools, models and observations that increase your self-awareness and your awareness of others
set your sights on personal success and/or that of your organisation
take full responsibility for your personal decisions and actions
think in terms of possibilities and new perspectives
courageously take action to realise your personal goals and desires, even if that can be uncomfortable and make you feel insecure at first
focus on yourself, the difficult questions, the hard truth and your personal success
become aware of your behaviour and communication and observe the behaviour and communication of others
listen to your intuition, assumptions, beliefs, judgements and your inner dialogue
dare to question your existing attitudes, beliefs and behaviour and develop new ones that serve you better today
use your personal strengths to overcome limitations
are gentle with yourself and others as you learn new behaviour, and accept that sometimes things will go less well than expected
How do you know if Coaching is right for you?
If you want to know whether you or your company would benefit from coaching, you can make a list of what exactly you expect to achieve with it. If you have a clear picture of the result you want to achieve, coaching can be a useful way to develop a suitable strategy to reach that result more easily. Do you need a partnership that brings you new insights and different perspectives? Are you willing to invest time and energy to achieve real change? If the answer is yes, coaching can be a way for you to grow and develop.
How is a coaching programme structured?
A coaching programme starts with an introductory conversation to map out your opportunities and challenges. In it, we look at what my role is as coach and your role as coachee. We determine your priorities, needs and desired outcomes (results). A coaching session lasts about two hours, during which we hold conversations and do exercises. We look at what is good and less good, what works and what doesn’t, what is desired and what is needed to achieve results. We try, experiment and evaluate. I offer input, probe for a deeper layer, ask questions; you decide on the direction and pace at which you develop. Between sessions, you may receive specific assignments. If appropriate, I will also offer you relevant articles, books, checklists, tests or models that support your development. The number of coaching sessions depends on your needs and personal pace of development. On average it is six, spread over three to six months. More extensive programmes usually run for a year or longer. Changing things lastingly simply takes time.
Is it proven that Coaching works?
Absolutely. Among others, the ICF Global Coaching Client Study and a study by the London NHS Leadership Centre show that the majority of coachees perform better at work, score better in business management, time management and teamwork, and also gain new opportunities. They also report having more self-confidence, better relationships, more effective communication skills, a better work-life balance and a general improvement in their wellbeing.
If you want to measure the success of coaching, it is best to take two elements into account: external indicators of performance and internal indicators of success. External indicators are things you as a coachee can easily measure and have some influence over, for example achieving set goals, earning more, getting a promotion, feedback from managers, colleagues or clients, ... Internal indicators are, for example, self-scoring, self-esteem, self-awareness, awareness of others, shifts in thinking patterns that lead to new behaviour and changes in your emotional state that create self-confidence.
How much does Coaching cost?
Letting yourself be coached means changing, and that takes courage: daring to see that your life and/or work today are not what you would like them to be, and actually doing something about it. That requires an investment of time and money. How much is your own personal growth worth to you? How much are you prepared to give up to lead the life you would rather live? How much time do you want to set aside to develop yourself? The cost of coaching depends on several factors. Rates depend, for example, on the coach’s specialisation and experience.
On average, a coaching programme comprises around six sessions of an hour and a half, but depending on your specific question there may be fewer or more. Clients who want to ‘tackle it thoroughly’ usually opt for a package of around ten sessions spread over six months to a year. Coachees who have been coached before and want a sounding board on a very defined topic sometimes opt for a ‘refresher coaching’, where a single session of an hour and a half is enough. Feel free to request a free intake conversation so you can evaluate our approach and I can give you a tailored quote.
Coaching is for losers, wimps and weaklings? Quite the opposite. Coaching is for those who dare, moving confidently towards a better future.
Why has coaching suddenly become so popular?
Coaching is on the rise. There are plenty of reasons for that. Business life, for example, is constantly changing. Companies downsize, restructure, merge. People have no choice but to adapt, and that is often very hard. People struggle with job insecurity and extra performance pressure in the workplace. At the same time, leaders and managers notice that their traditional approach no longer works so well. The gap between what they have learned and what their job now demands has grown, while the demand for performance and results keeps rising. On top of that, there is a growing shortage of talent in certain sectors, so companies have no choice but to invest in developing their people. And that is precisely where coaching has enormous added value. People who have experienced the fantastic results of coaching for themselves share their enthusiasm with others ... which in turn increases demand for coaching. Finally, people today are also more open to the idea of being at the helm of their own lives. Because that is what coaching makes you aware of.
Natacha Ciezkowski
Accredited Enneagram Coach and Trainer, member of the International Enneagram Faculty of Trainers and international Enneagram keynote speaker
