What's the Right Time for a Career Coach?

The Me-Suite host, Donna Peters, helps us think through the right time for a career coach.  "Without goals there is no coaching."

One of the most popular questions we receive is "how do I know if I should get a career coach?"  "Is this the right time to have a coach?   What is it like to work with a coach?"

Have you been thinking about getting a career coach for a while now? At this self reflective time in our society, you may be asking what is my next move?  Am I in the right career?  What if my job or my job offer is eliminated? Or already has been?  Am I staying fresh and relevant for the future that I want to have? 

If you're asking these types of questions, right now may be the right time for a career coach. There are three reasons that seeking a career coach is a very valuable next step. 

 1)  Those closest to us aren't actually listening closely. Because they think they already know what we're going to say. And it's a thing it's a real thing. It's backed by science. It's called the closeness communication bias. Check out Kate Murphy's book called you're not listening for more evidence that those closest to us aren't actually listening closely. So we often cannot lean on them for these types of critical topics. 

2)  It can get lonely or as you rise in your career, a Google search yielded about a million hits on leadership and loneliness. And the truth is it's challenging to find people in your regular professional and personal sphere to talk frankly, about your ambitions, your hesitations, your wild ideas, your insecurities. It can get lonelier as you rise. 

3)  Anyone performing at an elite level at anything has a coach--athletes, musicians, actors, next generation leaders, CEOs-- for these elite performers, the better they are at their craft, the more they seek coaching.

Bill Gates said everyone needs a coach. So then why do we too often say “no, no, I got this."  We should be asking ourselves, have I ever regretted investing in myself?   Do I have goals and decisions or a crossroads that need focus and action right now?  Will I progress more rapidly with an expert in my corner? 

A recent client said it best. “I should have gotten a coach a long time ago. If you’re on the fence, jump in and give it a try for a few rounds.”

Credentials, experience and fit all matter, so definitely do your due diligence.   To set a complimentary 'discovery call' with Donna Peters in December, book here.

 And remember, without goals, there is no coaching.