Reasons to Consider a Coach
Coaching isn’t nearly as prevalent in medicine as it is in business and other professions. So you’re not alone if you don’t know much about it. Here’s a rundown of what coaching is (and isn’t) and what you can expect to get out of it.
What is coaching?
Coaching is a journey to achieve positive change and growth. It’s directed by each individual, with the coach helping them through the process with inquiry, curiosity and encouragement.
Think of it like a mountain trek: You’re the mountain climber and I’m the Sherpa. While I have an understanding of the geography, can help you make decisions about the direction you take, and have the tools and skills to get you to the peak, you ultimately choose the route.
It’s worth noting that coaching is quite different from mentorship, peer support and counselling (or therapy). Coaching doesn’t dwell on your past — it focuses on acknowledging who you are and how you can align that with your personal and professional goals and actions.
What will you do in coaching?
Coaching explores and challenges your attitudes, behaviours, thought processes and beliefs in a safe environment that is free of judgment. It peels away the layers of how you’ve built your own belief and value systems, helping you identify your core values while moving beyond the beliefs and values that aren’t serving you.
For example, you might be thinking “I’m not cut out for this” or “I’m not good enough for this.” My job as a coach is to challenge that through gentle inquiry. I’ll walk you through the steps of what’s making you think and feel that: What are the beliefs that led you to this thought? What is the evidence to support it?
Another big component of coaching is developing a roadmap to reach your desired goals. I’ll offer strategies to remove roadblocks and provide accountability along the way. Accountability is a major differentiator between coaching and support from a peer, friend or partner. For example, if you commit to working out three times a week to improve your health, a friend will be less likely to push you when you need it.
How can you benefit from coaching?
Coaching provides you with a clearer understanding of who you are and what you want. It’s as if you’re on a stage in the spotlight, and I hold a mirror up to you so you can see every little detail about you reflected back.
You may come to understand that firmly held, but unjustified, beliefs are getting in the way of being able to move forward — an “aha!” moment for many clients. Meanwhile, as you learn to explore different perspectives, you may see yourself in a whole new light (which, incidentally, is likely the way that other people see you already).
It ultimately comes down to a mindset shift. For example, if your director isn’t responding to the obvious clinical pressures in your unit by increasing resources, you might start to resent them, thinking they don’t understand how difficult it is for you to deliver good, quality care for your patients. Coaching helps you reframe the situation so you can zero in on the root problem: there isn’t funding for those extra resources; the director is ultimately on the same team as you, but has to perform their job within their own constraints.
As you work through a coaching program, the skills you gain will help improve your emotional intelligence. You will likely notice increased empathy, improvements in teamwork and better relationships and communication with colleagues.
All the benefits and skills learned through coaching contribute to increases in fulfillment with the work you do, renewed vigour, and a better ability to cope with challenges at work.
Are you ready for coaching?
Coaching can be hugely beneficial for physicians, but it works best when you enter into it with the right mindset.
You need to be open-minded and open to change, self-reflective, excited for potential growth and willing to work hard. You’ll also benefit from a desire to reconnect and find purpose in your work, and it’s important that you’re comfortable with being uncomfortable — because change is uncomfortable.
Last, but not least, keep in mind that you’re the expert — you understand who you are, what you value, and what you want, so we approach everything from that standpoint. You’re capable, you’re resourceful and you have the answers. With inquiry and encouragement, we’ll unlock them.