Surprised? Well, most of my prospects are when I walk them through the discovery sessions where they experience the power of the coaching process. By the end of these session, they have greater insights on their lives and know why coaching can help them get to that “next level” in life.
Unfortunately, the above isn’t the norm. Most people are convinced that paying someone else to basically “ask questions” doesn’t make any sense. What they don’t understand is this ability to reflect and think from their own experience is possibly the greatest gift a coach can give to them. Next only to “unconditional love.” Why? A coach empowers and trusts you to tap into your inner resources (body, mind, heard, and soul) for creative solutions to your problems. And you can’t talk or advice your way to get there.
In fact, some of the best coaches say that advising people is just as bad as disempowering them! From my experience, that is the bitter truth. People except coaches to dish out answers while the coaches can’t stop talking about the possible solutions their clients can try. Just talk to your boss or that 22-year-old life coach who’s running ads of Facebook, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s ridiculous! No wonder people have a hard time understanding what coaching really is.
Coaches are leaders. They may not have all the answers but they have tremendous influence. And that’s what leadership is all about. Helping people getting conscious on their own is the ultimate leadership characteristic. And you get there by asking powerful questions that facilitate thinking and reflection.