Part One - Becoming a ‘real coach’?

Hi I’m Claire, mother, wife, employee, daughter, sister, friend, boss, etc etc…..for a while now I’ve been thinking, a lot …..🤔, it’s time to get these thoughts down and take action…..

Throughout my working life, I have held roles where I have been in the fortunate position to coach people. I have coached many individuals and teams on regulations, careers, sales, leadership, development, high performance, challenging conversations.... I could go on and on… I am seemingly quite good, or so the people I coach have said, but there has always been that voice inside that ate away at me, “Are you even qualified to do this? Are you a real coach or just playing coach?”

I don’t fight my pondering, it’s a mischievous, curious voice. In reality I know I have had plenty of training, read books, passed assessments, roles plays, supervision, diplomas, but it is still there, questioning if I really have the right to call myself a “Coach”.

“How can you call yourself a coach when you have not formally been given the title? Who gives you the title?” There are umpteen different levels of training and accreditations you can get, some really simple others more complex, all seemingly allow you to call yourself a coach.

There are plenty of people who claim the position of coach without too many ‘credentials’ all the time, that doesn’t make it right, does it? It works for them to take the shortest route. Does it work for their clients though? Is their success real success or is it a moment in time? Does the number of hours you’ve coached people really mean you are a better coach? Can quantity trump quality?

I‘ve pondered this for a long while. No one else has questioned my ability, credentials or experience, nope that’s all me. Some may say there is a bit of Imposter Syndrome doing its thing, others may say its great that I‘m always wanting to grow and learn more, and both could be true (and probably are). But honestly, I think am just ready to make coaching more prominent in my career rather than a ‘bit-part’ to the leading role. I think I want coaching to be the Julie Roberts of this production. But will that stop the voice? Do I even want it to stop, or is this voice actually my best friend pushing me to always do more? Thats interesting! This is not to say I want to leave my current employer, I love my job and my team, but working in a bank when you are not an ‘advisor’ or an ‘analyst’, and having a career as I have that has bounced from transferable skill to transferrable skill, I think I’d like to focus on a transferable ‘profession’. Something I can articulate to the whole world whoever were to ask me, or even just to enter on a form when asked for my profession.

My role is currently Head of Wealth Capability, trust me this translates poorly out of my business…. what exactly does Head of Capability do? I’d like to hone in on something my children understand and can see how my profession is there to benefit and serve others, the power of coaching can be so vast, if you coach the right people…. Transformative, life changing and impactful to many…. World changing even.

I’d like to wake on a Monday morning and feel excited for the week ahead. That often comes when I am due to coach someone, and I have the privilege of watching them think, hearing their pause and spying on their reflections. Then hopefully they have that awe-inspiring lightbulb moment, when they have unlocked the answers they have been searching for and make things better. Imagine being able to call that your profession? Someone lovingly wrapped that all up into being a Coach.

So that’s it for today, I won’t bore you more. This blog is unashamedly for me, if you enjoy it of course I’m happy, but it’s for me to get my reflective thoughts down throughout this journey I’m about to embark on… my pathway to becoming a real coach.

See you next week…it gets better ☺️