EngineerHer

Well, ok it might be. But crucially, coaching is focused on you.

But I get coaching from my manager in work

I bloody well hope so. Otherwise they’re not much of a manager. But they’ll be coaching you in line with organisational objectives, not necessarily what’s best for you.

The really good ones will be coaching you on what’s best for you within the organisational framework, but that might not be the best thing for you. Just the best thing that’s available within the organisation.

But a manager coaching you isn’t worthless – far from it. If a manager is willing to offer constructive feedback and work with you on how to address that feedback, that’s a fantastic opportunity. Equally, the manager can be clear about possible progression routes available, the behaviours the orgnisation needs to see before considering you for progression and likely or probably time scales for promotion.

This isn’t always good news, but at least with a good manager, it’s as clear as can be.

Alignment – or lack therof – between your goals and the organisational goals

Just suppose your organisation provides coaching. Brilliant! But what’s the coaching for? Who sets the goals? Who determines success/ failure?

If it’s your organisation setting the goals, then that’s a difficult spot for your coach. Seriously – they may be tied to a specific goal as part of the agreement they have with the organisation. Which will still help you, but might not be 100% aligned with your goals. But if your employer is paying for it?

Now, there are coaches out there who insist that the coaching agreement is between client and themselves, the organisation’s role is purely financial. I’ve had the benefit of several coaches like this in my life and it’s been a wonderful experience. But it’s best to get that extremely clear before you start!

It’s extremely annoying when your organisation insists on you getting coaching for presentations, for example, if you really want to get coaching on social influencing.

Walking the path laid out for you

For most of us, at some point in our careers, it’s easier just to walk the path the organisation has laid out for us. Seriously, there is nothing wrong with this at all. There are massive advantages to this – including getting all the support you need to walk said path.

But we nearly always come to a point where the path the organisation has for us doesn’t work for us. Or the organisation doesn’t have any path for us to progress.

And that’s where an external coach comes in. Because sometimes – what the organisation wants and what you want for your future are not overlapping or aligned at all. And you might have no clue what to do next. Just hopping on LinkedIn or Indeed and seeing what jobs are out there doesn’t work. Not if you don’t position yourself correctly.

There are times you’ll just be jumping from frying pan to fire.

But taking stock, working on those limiting beliefs, getting extremely clear on what you need and want from a job and career path – those are winning moves. And a coach will help you immensely here.

Yes, there’s a gender element here

Very often, women can be overlooked for coaching. Or if they are granted something, it will be for assertiveness or speaking up or something.

And ok, sometimes it’s necessary. Not all women are assertive. Some need help. But really, is it a need for assertiveness, or is there a deeper problem at work here?

Is a woman shy or has she learned that speaking up gets her more problems than solutions?

So, as women in industry, when we are offered coaching as a solution for sometimes, have a think about it. Maybe a bit more than some of our male counterparts need. And be even more careful about the coach you engage with. Coaches have blind spots as well as “normal” people.

Just be careful

Coaching means your wants and needs come first. Your coach should be 100% focused on you and your needs when you work together. They should not be worried about organisational goals or anything else when working with you.

If you get a coach who can outline clearly that ok, the organisation is paying the invoice, but you’re the one calling the shots? Brilliant. Ideal situation. But if there’s any ambiguity here or blurred lines or lack of clarity? Be careful.

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