Talking with a friend recently he said he was very surprised to have read that Cherie Blair had a coach. His take on coaching was that it was for people who were not successful, or that success eluded them, not someone who has achieved a lot in their life. This went on to be a very interesting conversation about coaching, and how it works for different people, and one of the things I said was that coaching is a sign of success.



Coaching is often perceived as something akin to therapy, for people with problems or people who can't manage their lives at all. In fact coaching helps all people wherever they are in life. Therapy and counselling are more focused on specific problems, mainly related to the past, that stop people being effective in their lives. Coaching on the other hand takes anyone from where they stand right now, irrelevant of how successful they have been, to where they wish to go.

There is a place for all modalities that help people move forward in their lives but coaching probably relates to more people as anyone can benefit from having an unbiased support on their side. Coaches have no agenda in their client's lives, other than supporting them to get exactly what they wish for in life - as long as it's legal!

I liken my work to that of a sports coach; all serious sports people have a coach. Someone to see things from a different angle, bring a new perspective to the table and have fresh ideas.

A sports coach wants their player to be their best and will be unstinting and totally focused on their player's goals. That new perspective can see when something can be tweaked for better results, and can support them in bringing that new idea into their game. They will help create a training schedule (action plan) to ensure that the goal is reached and will literally walk alongside shouting support and suggestions from the touchline. They also help them deal with their mental game, how to stay positive, visualise the end goal and use their mental ability to their best advantage.

Now a sports coach doesn't only work with those at the top of their game but with every level - all with the one focus - helping the player get better at whatever their chosen game. Enough of the sports analogies, but you get my drift. Coaches can help anyone who wants to improve their lives.

In the conversation with my friend - who has had a very successful career - he began to see that in fact it would be something that could help him immensely. He wants to do something new, but is not sure what. Finances are not an issue but fulfilment is. The idea of having someone to explore new ideas, reconnect with old passions and find new outlets with him suddenly appealed very much.

Equally I have spoken with people who are starting out on their career paths. They have seen the benefit of having someone with the experience of discerning what would truly be fulfilling in life, be on their side and bringing clarity to the huge jigsaw puzzle called life.

Coaching can also be the sign of success when it comes to work/life balance or health. Often people come to coaching because they realise that although they are outwardly successful at work they are totally out of touch in all other areas of their lives. They need help and structure to pull back other areas of life into balance. To bring back a social life or address their health and exercise. Coaching supports all and any changes the client desires.

Relationships too can benefit from coaching. Good healthy relationships happen when we take responsibility for our own happiness and can share that with our partner. Coming back to yourself and beginning to see what makes you tick and how you act in relationships can bring profound change and joy.

So in all areas of life, coaching is a sign of success. A sign of commitment to yourself, of saying "I am worth taking the action to make the change. I am good enough to want better". So often I have had people come to me feeling almost embarrassed to ask for help, feeling like it is a failure. However, every time the feedback has been that they have realised that it wasn't that they were bad or unsuccessful, but that they were so close to the problem they couldn't see the solution. They began to see that it was not a sign of failure but of success.

By bringing a coach into their lives their success soared, they enjoyed their lives all the more and they were happy to say I've got a coach, and it's great!