Yes! Coaching Has Pretty Amazing Advantages

Coaching, are you missing out? There are some amazing advantages to working with a coach!

There are some common misconceptions around coaching that drive me crazy! One of those misconceptions is that coaching is for those who are struggling or under-performing.

The truth is that coaching is helpful to individuals in that place IF they are open, ready, and willing to make changes and take action! If not, coaching won’t work the miracle that many individuals or employers are hoping for!

Another common misconception is that if you aren’t struggling, coaching isn’t for you. That’s not true either!

Think About Coaching This Way…

It’s extremely rare for someone to compete in the Olympics without a coach and win a medal. Katinka Hosszu gave it a shot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) and finished fifth in the 400m individual medley and seventh in the 200m individual medley. She was considered to be a favorite to win in both events.

Another brave soul, Carlos Yulo, competed in gymnastics in the 2024 Olympics without a coach and successfully won two gold medals – one in the floor exercises and one in vaulting. Truly a a remarkable feat!

A few other independent athletes have managed to win medals including Fehaid Al-Deehani (Gold, 2016), Abdullah Al-Rashidi (Bronze, 2016), Jasna Šekarić (Silver, 1992), Aranka Binder (Bronze, 1992), and Stevan Pletikosić (Bronze, 1992) without a coach.

There is now denying that the vast majority of medaling athletes in the Olympics work with a coach despite being the most talented athletes in the world!

The Research

Mathew Barlow, a postdoctoral researcher in sport psychology at Bangor University in Wales was commissioned by the UK Sport to study what contributed to the success of multiple medal winners. Initially they identified 43 variables that consistently foretold the probability of someone becoming a super-elite athlete.

One of the 43 variables was the coach-athlete relationship. The UK Sport decided to fund a second study to explore that relationship in greater depth. The study revealed that the athletes that were not only supported technically, but also holistically, were the most successful.  In other words, the athletes that had a coach that was involved in their personal life, demonstrated an unwavering belief in their abilities, and provided positive feedback, definitely had the edge!

When the relationship between an athlete and a coach is strong and there is trust between them, it’s much easier for an athlete to receive difficult feedback and challenges from his or her coach.

Other Acceptable Areas of Coaching

My husband and I are music buffs and appreciate the skill required to dance. We regularly watch shows like American Idol, The Voice, So You Think You Can Dance, and World of Dance. Each of these shows provides “coaches” along the way to help the contestants take their skills to the next level.

I have a voice that even preschoolers find grim and lack the flare that dancing requires, however, I admire the talent of those participating in such shows. I’ve never once questioned why they would need to work with a coach. I understand that they are hungry to win and eagerly welcome the input they are given that might make that possible.

Coaching In Life & Work

When it comes to excelling personally and/or professionally, folks have a radically different perspective on coaching. I’ve worked with folks who resented being asked to work with a coach by their employers, because they viewed it as punishment. And guess what? Coaching wasn’t the cure!

On the flip side, the employees I’ve worked with who viewed the chance to work with a coach as a perk –  a huge resource and opportunity that‘s been given to them, those are the clients that have ultimately thrived as a result of the coaching experience.

Trust me, if your employer felt you weren’t up to the task, they would just get rid of you or demote you. They would not invest in you!

With that in mind, don’t be afraid to ask your employer for the chance to work with a coach! What if they are eager to invest in your growth and development? You won’t know unless you ask!

If they aren’t willing, I encourage you to invest in yourself! You are worth giving yourself the edge!

Coaching is a fantastic way to radically increase your potential, gain more confidence, and reach your goals faster. And that’s not all. It’s also a wonderful way to gain new insights that enable you to operate in a more life-giving and meaningful way!

Here are a few more of the amazing advantages that coaching provides:

1. A Space To Process & Think

With all the advances in technology, life is moving at an increasingly brisk pace. Life is constantly changing. On top of that, email, text, internal direct messaging, and more send a constant barrage of information your way.

With so much coming at you all the time, it’s tough to make time to process it all. In fact, slowing down and thinking is a foreign concept for many. Yet to excel in life and work you, must step back, take in what’s happening, and make intentional decisions on how to proceed.

Coaching creates a space for you to do just that! And it leads to fresh discoveries that you would miss out on without participating in coaching.

2. Uncovering What You Don’t Know

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to getting where you want to be is your own thinking. Your blind spots and limiting beliefs are so ingrained in your thinking you don’t question them or notice how they are hindering you personally or professionally.

Perhaps for you it’s your outrageous expectations, fear, limited self-awareness, or lack of clarity that’s compromising your ability to operate at your best.

Working with a coach uncovers the barriers to your success; barriers you didn’t even know were working against you!

3. Encouraging You To Address Stress

The best athletic coaches are not just focused on your winning, but the whole person. The same is true when working with a coach. They take into consideration all the various factors that are at play in your life because you are not a compartmentalized creature. What’s stressing you at home impacts your work and the stress at work impacts your personal life.

When working with clients, I urge them to take a look at all aspects of their lives so that they are able to optimize their performance without sacrificing their health habits, peace, and joy. I would approach working with you that way too!

4. Expanding Your Capacity to Perform

You might feel like you’ve done pretty well for yourself, and you probably have! In spite of that, what if you were to grow? What if you were to perform even better AND enjoy life more! There are plenty of folks around you that are actively working with a coach and growing. Don’t get left in the dust!

What areas of growth would be advantageous to you? Learning to delegate, managing your time better, communicating more effectively, overcoming the tendency to procrastinate, or just being more confident? Struggle to deal with conflict? Find it difficult to prioritize? Floundering in your relationships?

Whatever it is, it’s bound to surface in coaching! Then you are able to proactively do something about it!

5. Speeding Up Reaching Your Goals

No matter what your goals are, working with a coach has a way of speeding up the process of reaching them. Coaching doesn’t just empower the Olympic athlete!

6. Helping You Work More Efficiently

What if you had someone who was…

• • • A sounding board?
    • Able to help you explore the ins and outs of a particular decision or situation that was a neutral party?
    • Listening and guiding you through the changes?
    • Safe and provided space to process all that you have going on?
    • Working with your employees or team without taking up your time?
    • Able to get to the root of your issues?

One of the major differences between an athletic coach and a life and or leadership coach is that an athletic coach is directive – they have a strategy for you to follow!

That’s not how it works when it comes to coaching in life! Coaching is about helping you get where you want to be and the results you’re after. A skilled coach is able to draw out the best course of action for you, the barriers, and so much more!

Coaching – is for those who value themselves and the work they do.

Give yourself the advantage! Work with me one-on-one or Join The LAB – another incredibly practical way to invest in yourself and do it at your own pace!

How would working with a coach be advantageous to you?