tamyoungcoach

Stress, does everyone get it?

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 05:16:50 GMT

Oh, Stress.

Everyone needs to de-stress no matter if your Tim Cook CEO of apple or Yvon Chiugard the founder of Patagonia. Today I was delighted to be de stressing at my garden plot. (See picture below)

What do you do to de-stress?

Servant Leadership vs. Servant Management

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 07:51:15 GMT

I'm not an expert in Servant Leadership ; I only know the phrase because one of my career coaching clients mentioned it. But, when I heard the term, I was surprised that I hadn't heard it before.

Most MBA programs have it in their curriculum as one of the management styles one can use as a manager. Such as...

Directive Management
Coaching Management
Relational Management
Affiliative Management
Participative Management (also called democratic style)
Pace-setting Leadership (aka: leading by example)
Servant Leadership

You can learn more about these management styles in this article from Rasmussen University.

Let's call it Servant Management

I prefer the term Servant Management over Servant Leadership .

So, what's the difference?

"Servant leadership" sounds like a top-down approach that removes the meaning of servant. "Servant management" sounds more like someone on the ground than someone on the top of the triangle.

The core values that I can connect with are:

Honour Others (Before Yourself)

Respect and raise others ahead of yourself.

Inspire Vision (Before Setting The Course)

Elicit vision from others around you so that ideas and motivation come from your team.

Choose Ethics (Before Profit)

Setting your ethical value higher than the bottom line will end up helping the bottom line over the long term because it will build long-term trust.

Empower Others (Before Personal Gain)

Asking for the opinions of others and implementing their ideas will help them see that they can impact their work, allowing them to feel empowered.

Commit to the growth of people (Before Tasks)

To develop the team members that you manage, understand their strengths and weaknesses so that you can give them tasks that are suited to them and help them to stretch themselves to grow.

This style of management can take some getting used to, or it could be something you are already using without even realizing it.

If you struggle with managing teams in your work, feel free to book a free exploratory session with Tam Young Coach .

Eliciting Core Values to Further Your Career

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 03:38:37 GMT

I have a confession to make...

Yes, I'm human, I, too, have weakness.

I try to be the best example of a person who is doing their best to constantly improve my strengths and reduce my weaknesses.

One of my weaknesses is being distracted by other work.

That is not to say I am lazy, I have always had a strong work ethic. This work ethic comes from waking up at 4am to start work on the farms I used to work on when I was a student.

I get restarted by work I like doing , and end up not doing the work I should be doing .

Anyone else experience this?

My clients often talk about this problem.

I hear you asking, " What can be done about this? "

Core Values

Well, one possible answer is using a technique of eliciting Core Values .

Core Values are the fundamental beliefs of a person. These guiding principles dictate behavior and can help people understand if they are on the right path, and fulfilling their goals, by creating an unwavering guide.

To learn more about Core Values and how exploring yours can help you, get in touch for a free, no-obligation, one-to-one coaching session .

How to Develop a Stress-Reduction Plan

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 05:29:15 GMT

While the body's physiological stress response - the fight or flight response - is virtually universal, the way that stress impacts us is as unique to each individual as the events that cause us stress in the first place. Simply put, we all respond to stressful events in our own way, and our responses to stress affect us in ways that are unique as well.

Why is that?

Stress Triggers

We're all affected differently by life's events. While extreme events like a physical attack by a violent stranger or the diagnosis of a serious illness produce a strong stress response in virtually everyone, many everyday events on the job or at home will be experienced as stressful by some and exciting, challenging, or even exhilarating by others.

What accounts for these differences?

Past Experience:

We all carry "baggage," and that affects our current thought patterns and how we conceptualise what’s going on today. These thought patterns impact whether we see something as positive or negative, challenging, or stressful, etc.

Temperament and Personality Traits:

Some of us are simply born more reactive to stress than others. Differences in temperament can be observed in infants as young as one day old, and these traits affect how we’re affected by life—for life.

Overall Lifestyle:

Those who lead busy and stressful lives tend to have fewer reserves to help deal with stress. They also tend to encounter more triggers.

Stress Symptoms:

Some of us process stress differently, which can lead to certain coping skills being more effective or not effective at all.

Stress Response Differences:

How we respond to stress can alter the impact that stress has on us. While some people will deal with a stressful day by hitting the gym or hugging their children, other people may drink to excess or lash out at others. Additionally, some people find stress to be a minor inconvenience while others are completely overwhelmed.

Dealing with Stress

Dealing with stress in a healthier way tends to create resilience, of course; ineffective coping can increase the negative effects of stress.

What accounts for the different ways people deal with stress?

Physiological Factors:

Just like some people are just born more emotionally reactive, some have more sensitive physiology and find that stress impacts their blood pressure, induces headaches, or causes other physical responses. Likewise, the way you care for your body in terms of a healthy diet, quality sleep, and regular exercise—or lack thereof—can impact your reactivity to stress.

Coping Techniques:

We all have our different ways of coping with stress, and some of these techniques are healthier and more beneficial than others. If you find yourself using alcohol, emotional eating, or responding to stress in other less-than-healthy ways, it’s time to find new ways of reducing stress. Over time, they’ll become automatic, and will replace your more unhealthy responses.

Learned Behaviour:

How we respond to the stress in our lives is shaped by our early experiences and cemented over time. Our habits play a role as well. Those with healthy habits tend to handle stress more effectively.

Protective Factors

Certain features in your life can also keep you somewhat insulated from stress. Those with a supportive network of friends and other personal resources tend to be less affected by stress and deal with their stress more efficiently.

We can’t stop stressors from being a part of life (and we wouldn’t want to eliminate all stress, even if it were possible), which is why effective stress management focuses more on minimising our triggers, altering our responses, and building up our resources and protective factors so that we’re less negatively impacted by stress. Because stress is such an individual experience, it’s important to have a stress relief plan that works for you.

Stress Reliever Personality Test

This stress reliever personality test will allow you to answer a few questions about your lifestyle and personality, and then direct you to stress relievers that may fit best for your particular situation. It’s a useful tool for those who want to begin with techniques that are most likely to work for them.

Emergency Stress Relief Resources

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and just want something to help you relieve stress quickly, review these methods for reversing your stress response right away, so you can more effectively deal with the issues at hand. (They can provide a nice ‘quick fix’ until you can get more long-term stress management strategies in place.)

How a coach can help you deal with stress

Perspectives are very important when it comes to understanding where your stress comes from.

What you perceive as the source of stress may not necessarily be the actual source of stress.

Communicating with a coach can help you understand the real source of stress. Then a coach can partner with you to help resolve the stressor.

What a Life Coach Can Do for You

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 05:56:42 GMT

One of the main benefits of working with a life coach is the ability to gain a fresh, informed perspective on problems that you face. In addition to offering new insight into challenges, a life coach can help you to zero in on negative patterns that could be standing in the way of your success.

Many people view working with a life coach as a means of bridging the gap between your current circumstances and the life you'd like to lead. Or more simply, the gap between where you are and where you want to be .

The following are some of the positive outcomes that could result from joining forces with a life coach :

better work/life balance
elimination of long-held fears and anxieties
enhanced creativity
greater financial security
improved communication skills
more satisfying work life
stronger relationships with friends and family

Additionally, people frequently pair up with life coaches in order to work through barriers that may interfere with finding a partner/mate. Many people also look to life coaches for help in identifying their passion and carving out their ideal career path.

Since sessions typically take place on a regular basis over a prolonged period of time, life coaches can ensure that their clients are implementing what is necessary to experience significant change.

For a great number of clients, accountability is one of the prime advantages of working with a life coach.

Along with providing the support and motivation essential for maintaining momentum, coaches can observe when a client is stuck or needs to recalibrate their goals. As a result, clients often achieve those goals more quickly and efficiently than they would if working on their own.

Impact of Life Coaches

While people may report subjective benefits after seeing a life coach, there have also been studies that have shown that life coaching can be beneficial in a number of areas:

One study found that both individual and group coaching was helpful in reducing procrastination and improving goal attainment .
One review of studies found that health and wellness coaching showed promise for improving self-efficacy and self-empowerment .

A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that coaching-based leadership interventions could be effective for enhancing well-being and improving functioning within organizations .

Research also suggests that life coaching can have a range of other positive effects, including improvements in personal insight and improved self-reflection. It may also help improve overall mental health and quality of life .

The Life-Coaching System

Life coaching sessions can take many different forms. For example, some life coaches meet with their clients in person, while others conduct their sessions over the phone or by zoom.

Typically at Tam Young coaching you will speak to a coach once every two weeks for an hour then have a face to face once every 3 months depending on your location.

If you’re thinking of working with a life coach, keep in mind that it’s up to you to decide what you’d like to focus on in your coaching sessions. Each session should leave you feeling empowered and uplifted, so it’s critical to find a coach whose style and philosophy resonate with you.

Potential Pitfalls of Working With a Life Coach

Before you see a life coach, there are a few potential pitfalls that you should watch for:

Don't expect immediate results.
Your life coach can help you make plans, address problems, and work toward achieving your goals, but it is important to remember that these things take time. It may be helpful if you set some short-term and long-term goals to work toward.
Consider if your coach is suited to your needs.
Not all life coaches take the same approach to a problem, so what you get out of the process may have a lot to do with the type of relationship you have with your coach. Look for a coach that is suited to working with your personality type and approach to solving problems.

Tam Young is a qualified Life Coach and Career Coach based in Nagoya, Japan and helping clients globally. If you are experiencing a gap in where you are vs where you want to be, either professionally or personally, feel free to get in touch for a free consultation.

Making Your Team More Productive

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:04:01 GMT

As a C-level executive, do you struggle to get your team to be productive?

Many C-level executives face challenges in getting their teams to be productive. Perhaps you have tried many things, and you have encouraged your team and tried to support them, but still, their productivity is not being achieved.

This probably has to do with communication between each team member. Imagine if you were in a circle of friends and one of them is not communicating with everyone else. How long would it take for that person to move out of that circle of friends? I think, not long. So just as in one’s personal life, working on these relationships within your team is very important. Improving communication between each team member is a vital part of increasing productivity.

Would you like to know how to improve communication within your team?

There are many techniques used to increase communication.

1. Establish a rapport with team members

The more a team member is able to communicate with their boss, the more likely they are to come forward and communicate when they’re experiencing a problem. One great way to lay the foundation for open communication is to establish a rapport with your team members right away.

For example, managers can take new hires out for lunch with their new teammates. Instead of talking about business, they can prompt everyone to share things about their lives and personal interests. Even though it may be a small gesture, it can function as a great icebreaker by helping to open up the lines of communication between everyone on the team.

2. Build trust with your team

According to The Workforce Institute at UKG, nearly two thirds (64%) of employees say trust has a direct impact on their sense of belonging at work. It almost sounds too simple, but it’s true — appearing trustworthy to your team can result in more effective business communication, time and time again.

There's plenty to say on the topic of how to improve trust, but the core of the matter is straightforward:

Show a genuine interest in your team, empathize with their roadblocks or challenges, and follow through on identifying, and acting on, the ways you can help.

Your team will be much more likely to communicate issues when they know they can trust you to stay level-headed and work with them to find a solution.

3. Meet regularly with your team

Sometimes, all it takes to open up the lines of communication with your team is setting up time for them to speak their mind. If there isn’t already time scheduled, your team members may worry they’re burdening you - this may mean a missed opportunity to hear their most recent challenges, concerns, or even triumphs. By setting up a recurring meeting to touch base with your team, you’ll learn more about what’s going on with your team, which makes it easier for you to iron out any kinks that arise.

For example, having a weekly one-on-one meeting between a manager and their direct report gives the team member a chance to review how work is going overall and discuss big-picture ideas. Adding a monthly one-on-one with the director of the department to grab coffee together or go for a walk can create a more relaxed space to air concerns or share wins without the pressure of asking a superior for a meeting outright.

4. Provide enough context around assignments

While it may be clear to a manager why a certain task must be completed, the reasons may not be as apparent to your employees. It’s important to provide enough context when giving out assignments. As you set expectations with employees, it can be helpful to note details like deadlines, examples of similar assignments, and any teams that might be impacted by the final output.

If you'd like to delve deeper into improving your communication and fueling productivity with your team, then please feel free to get in touch with Tam Young Coach.

NLP in Coaching

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 11:37:22 GMT

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Explained

What is NLP?

Neuro Linguistic programming is a psychological approach that involves analysing strategies used by successful individuals and applying them to reach a personal goal. It relates thoughts, language, and patterns of behaviour learned through experience to specific outcomes. NLP is a powerful tool that, when used in conjunction with coaching, can help create a powerful connection between the client and coach. NLP is shown to help clients connect with underlying behaviours, beliefs, patterns and thoughts.

Neuro-linguistic programming was developed in 1970 by John Grinder, a linguist, and Richard Bandler, an information scientist and mathematician along with other scientists. They believed it was possible to identify the patterns of thoughts and behaviours of successful individuals and to teach them to others. NLP was intended to help people communicate more effectively, learn faster, and develop personally to achieve a higher quality of life. They further developed NLP as a process to crystallize patterns behind brilliance in any field.

NLP has been used to treat a wide range of issues such as; Anxiety, Communication issues, Post-traumatic stress, Depression, Attention-deficit hyperactivity, Addiction, Schizophrenia, Obsessions and compulsions and borderline personality disorder.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming shows you how to take control of your mind, and therefore your life. Unlike psychoanalysis, which focuses on the ‘ why ’, NLP is very practical and focuses on the ‘ how ’.

What does NLP stand for?

N is for Neurol (brain)

The physical components as well as the mental and emotional components of our neurology. it refers to the mind or brain, particularly regarding how states of mind (and body) affect communication and behavior.

L is for Linguistics (communication/speech)

Linguistics pertains to the language that you use, and more specifically, how you communicate with others and more importantly, how you communicate with yourself. Language is the tool we use to gain access to the inner workings of the mind.

P is for Programming (function)

Perceiving your mind as your internal operating system, Programming is the way our past experiences, thoughts and emotions affect all areas of our lives. To someone trained, this would mean that you are living according to your programming, which consists of habitual thoughts, feelings, reactions, beliefs, and traditions.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming Techniques

Using NLP techniques can help you develop in areas of your life and contribute to improving your personal performance and understanding of how people function.

Here are some NLP techniques that are used by coaches:

Anchoring

This technique helps clients connect with their emotions that have been blocked in the past by creating an anchor to the stimulus. It is essential for pulling up a certain emotion, or putting yourself in a particular state of mind. It can be used on yourself, or on another person. It works by associating an emotion with a physical action and is called laying the anchor.

Meta Model

It is used to help you understand other people’s problems. It can also be used to help you help others understand their problems better. The goal is to deconstruct the conversation, to help you find the cause of the problem, as well as a solution to that problem. The goal is specific and clear communication, with the help of which lost contents of consciousness are rediscovered.

Rapport

As a coach, you want your clients to trust you. NLP serves as a perfect ingredient to create a sacred and trusted space with mirroring and rapport. The practitioner tunes into the person by matching their physical behaviours to improve communication and response through empathy. You can use this effect conversely to build a positive relationship, i.e. rapport, with someone. To do this, you mirror the behaviour of your counterpart.

Mirroring

Being good at mirroring will be very helpful as it's hard to dislike someone who knows how to do this. It is the mimicking of behaviours of the person with whom you are communicating. This simulation is done subtly and usually unconsciously. Ways to do this include copying someone’s speech patterns, body language, vocabulary style, pace, tempo, pitch, tone, and volume. This can help you build rapport and may decrease the chance of friction during the conversation. helpful in establishing rapport with clients and then partner empathetically. It is about creating a state of harmony in working together.

Pattern Interpretation

It is used to store words into the subconscious mind of a listener. This technique is another one that is great to combine with others. It involves the storage of keywords in your unconscious mind. It is used alongside Anchoring, this technique will allow you to receive a message which, for reasons unknown to you, bear a great significance.

NLP is a very powerful technique based on the power of your own mind. Some might call it ‘mind tricks’ but, by using these techniques and others developed by NLP practitioners, you can learn to take control of your mind and how you respond to the world.

To end here is a quote from Richard Bandler.
NEEDS ACTUAL QUOTE!!

The Grow Model

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:11:11 GMT

Just what is the Grow Model?

The GROW model is one of the most popular coaching frameworks used by career coaches. Grow Model is known as a coaching framework used in conversations, meeting and everyday leadership to unlock potential and possibilities. The grow coaching model was developed by Sir John Whitmore and his colleagues at performance consultants international. It was developed to create strong leaders.

Career coaches use the grow model to coach a client who are looking for a job or looking to make a difference in their lives. The grow career coaching model represents the left-right phase a client goes through in his growth journey. With the support of the coach, the client is able to discover skillsets, work experiences and knowledge in order to find the right job or take the right steps to improve their lives. This concept opens clients up to their own potential within this solution-focused framework.

A career coach will help you to narrow down your options and set a realistic timescale for each step you plan to take. The core of great coaching is helping your clients to increase their awareness, find options and solutions and finally to take actions. The grow approach promotes confidence, self-motivation leading to increased productivity and personal satisfaction.

How does the Grow Model work?

The GROW Model is a simple, four-step process that helps you structure coaching and mentoring sessions with team members.

GROW is an acronym for the following components:

G stands for Goal

The Goal stage helps the coach to establish the client’s career goals and transferable skills from previous work experiences and explore the industries & job roles that he/she is interested in. it is important that the goals are as specific as possible and measurable. It ensures clarity instead of vagueness in your clients’ goals. Goals must be agreed on between all the parties involved.

Here are some Grow coaching questions for the Goal stage:

What is your goal? / What do you want?

What do you want to achieve long term?

What do you really want?

What is your goal for this coaching session?

What do you want to change?

What does success look like?

R stands for Reality

This involves the client and coach having a discussion about the current situation and what barriers currently exist between now and achievement of their goals. This step is helping you and your clients to gain awareness of the current situation. It is important that your client tries to describe the situation as objectively as possible.

Here are some Reality coaching questions for the Reality stage:

What is happening right now? Only focus on fact, what is really happening at the moment. (WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW MUCH, HOW OFTEN).

What were the outcomes?

How would you describe what you did/tried?

What kept you from trying different things?

Where are you now in relation to your goal?

What is working well right now and what isn't?

O stands for Options

This is an opportunity for the coach to determine what is possible meaning all of the possible options available for the client to reach their objective. Options could be behaviours, actions or decisions that lead the client towards her goal. Let your client brainstorm and create a long list of ideas that come to mind. Purpose is not to find the right answer but to create and list as many alternative courses of action as possible.

Here are some Options coaching questions for the Options stage:

What is your first step?

If success was guaranteed, what would you do?

If money was not an obstacle, what would you do?

What action step is the best use of your time at this moment?

If someone else came to you with your obstacle, what would you tell them?

W stands for Way Forward or Will

The last stage is to get your client to commit to specific actions in order to move forward toward their goal. In doing this, you will help them establish their will and boost their motivation. It doesn’t matter if the W stands for Will, Wrap-up, Way forward it all comes down to action and commitment of the client, because without that the three prior stages have no value. You and the client establish a clear plan for the next steps.

Here are some Options coaching questions for the Way Forward stage:

What are you willing to do?

When are you going to do it?

Will this action meet your goal?

What obstacles might you meet along the way?

Who needs to know?

The Grow Model is the perfect tool for career coaches to use for their clients to help them gain awareness, find clarity, and strengthen the commitment that is essential for a successful coaching. It also makes sure you’re both on the same side before you take the next steps.

This is a tool used by career and personal development coaches that allows people to check in on their life and their current goals. The coaching wheel (wheel of life) is an invaluable tool used to create awareness about areas in your life that might not be as great as you would like them to be i.e. is areas you want to work on and be coached in. The concept of the wheel of life was created by industry pioneer late Paul .J. Meyer who founded the Success Motivation Institute in 1960 to help people realize their goals. The main aim of the wheel is transformation of one’s life.

The Coaching Wheel

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 10:26:20 GMT

When was the last time you took a step back and evaluated how content you are with life?

Often, when problems present themselves they do so in certain areas of our life.

Perhaps you are struggling in your career , health , or finances .

Whatever the challenges are, they can build slowly, knocking you off balance and having a profound impact on your well-being. Taking a moment to pull back and look at your life as a whole can help you identify which areas need attention to bring you back into balance.

This is what the wheel of life tool is used for.

What is a coaching wheel?

This is a tool used by career and personal development coaches that allows people to check in on their life and their current goals.

The coaching wheel or wheel of life is an invaluable tool used to create awareness about areas in your life that might not be as great as you would like them to be i.e. is areas you want to work on and be coached in. The concept of the wheel of life was created by industry pioneer the late Paul J. Meyer who founded the Success Motivation Institute in 1960 to help people realize their goals.

The main aim of the wheel is transformation of one's life.

Career Coaching and The Coaching Wheel

Career coaches use the wheel to help individuals determine where they want to get to, they also use it to help individuals understand what their current state or situation looks like. Understanding where you are now vs where you want to be.

The wheel of life resembles the spokes of a wheel and is used to present and organize the most important aspects of your life such as family and home life, health, wealth, well being, career, finance and anything that is important in your life.

It is used by asking clients to talk about each of the areas in the wheel. The coach assess how satisfied they feel with that part of their life. The client then allocates a score to that area between 1 -10. A full assessment is done, the wheel becomes a visual summary of how satisfied the individual feels across the range of categories it covers. The results are used as a decision making tool.

Variations of The Coaching Wheel

There are different types of coaching wheels in existence. They all have different names like; wheel of work , wheel of performance , wheel of business etc.

The wheel of life consists of 8-10 categories and may vary depending on your needs.

How to Create and Use Your Own Wheel of Life

To create and use the wheel of life, follow these steps:

Look at the example/ Draw a circle as if the circle were apple pie. Draw four lines to cut the pie into eight pieces.
Create a wheel using the categories you chose (from the 8 categories to fit your life).
Write each label around the outer edge of the wheel
Then you rate your current level of satisfaction for each area on a scale of 1-10. With 10 being the highest.
Connect the dots.
Compare the results to your ideal levels
Assess any gaps that exist between your current and ideal life balance.
Take steps to address the areas you will like to improve.
Take action.

Ways You Can Use The Coaching Wheel

Audit Your Life

Life audit is a self-reflection exercise you do to help you clear off the cobwebs on your goals. It can help you identify where you are at currently in your life and empower you to push forward to achieve your dreams.

Set Goals

When you work through every section of the wheel you will be able to dig deeper to different areas of your life and better understand your current path. You are then able to use it as a launch pad to set meaningful and clear goals to help propel you into the future.

Life Balance

The wheel can be used to discover which areas of your life are working well and which categories require more effort. In this way, it can help you discover the right life balance.

Coaching Session

During a coaching session a life coach can help you bridge the gap between where the client is currently and where they would like to be. Career coaches use various tools and techniques to including the wheel of life. They use it to empower their clients to fulfil their potential and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Core Values

When you take time to self-reflect on where you are at currently and where you would like to be you give yourself the chance to step back and look a little deeper at what is important to you. The wheel of life is a powerful tool to see where your priorities and values truly lie.

The wheel of life can be used by career coaches in sessions to:

Build trust between client and coach to share personal issues
Understand problems ongoing/temporary issues and sources of stress.
Review goals the client has set over the short/long term and ask if they enhance overall life satisfaction.
Perform a check in during /outside of a session to understand the current position.

What does a career coach do?

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 09:27:51 GMT

Some insights into choosing a career coach

There are so many people who still don’t know about or understand what a career coach is or how to pick a career coach who will best serve them.

Career coaches use a solution orientated approach to assist and inform any person who is in need of career advice. They practically help you define, redefine, and achieve your professional objective and other work related goals. A career coach can help you figure out what kind of job you are searching for, help plan a new career path, advise you on your current work situation, develop or improve interpersonal skills etc. It is about getting the support, help and guidance you need to figure things out to reach your career goals. A career coach ensures accountability to keep the job seeker on track and moving forward.

Career Coach vs Therapist or Guidance Counsellor

It is important to know that a career coach is different from a guidance counsellor or therapist.

Guidance counsellors deal specifically with students while a therapist deals with a person's history and the why's of that history. Coaching deals with the future and the "how's" of making the future become what the client wants it to become. A career coach helps you develop proficiencies, whereas a career counsellor helps clients overcome deficiencies.

Does it work for everyone?

You have to be willing to be coached, be open to new ideas, make changes, welcome constructive criticism and take action.

Working with a career coach is working with someone who genuinely shares the same ultimate goal you have, creating and adding excitement during the process; one on one career coaching experience is a way to receive personalized, support and guidance when making career decisions to determine what steps to take and strategies that will keep you on track to accomplish your goals.

Here are some signs you need to hire a career coach:

Time to Level Up
You might be at a stage in your career where you feel stuck, you are not getting promoted, you feel like your career is going nowhere or may feel like it’s time to level up. This is where your career coach comes in to guide you, get to know you, your work and the company you work for. Your career coach will offer objective feedback on your current performance then work with you to sharpen skills you already have and introduce you to others you haven’t mastered.

Career Change
Perhaps you would like to change industries, a career coach can help you pivot into a new industry. You and your coach can discuss your desire to change industries and work together to create a plan. Career coaches can help determine the strategy for your career pivot and advise you on the tactics you'll need to advance in a new direction.

Unemployed
You may have been unemployed for so long or perhaps you have been sending out your resume to a lot of organizations, but there has been no positive strides in getting a job. A career coach will look at your resume, LinkedIn profile and would help you craft a more cohesive story that will help you land the right opportunity.

Tips on Finding a Career Coach

When looking for a career coach, consider these tips:

Identify What You Want

You need to ask yourself what you want to achieve with the support of a career coach. Is it to help you progress in your current career? Or to reinvent your work life altogether and pursue something new and exciting? You may be experiencing problems at work, or be out of work entirely, and need some guidance to weather the storm. You need to be clear with yourself on what you want to achieve with the support of a career coach so that you are not wasting your time and resources getting a career coach and later realizing you did not actually need one because you were not ready to get one.

Do Some Research

It is very important that you conduct some research and dig around by talking to a number of coaches to make sure you find the right career coach that suits you.

Inquire among your personal and professional networks and visit professional networking sites online. Ask for recommendations from people who have had success using career coaches. You can check their profile on LinkedIn, Search coaching organization sites like the International Coaches Federation (ICF) and the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARCC) have online search functions listing their members. Have they been published or cited as an expert in respected media outlets? Read up on them online, do they have a blog or books that you can check out? Research so you find the perfect fit for you. It is big investment that you are putting in yourself

Seek a Specialist Career Coach

There are so many career coaches who specialize in one type of client. You may have one career coach who works with people preparing for retirement, another career coach who specializes in helping people break into the tech field etc. If you aren’t sure what you want to do or don’t know exactly what your goals are, a general career coach will be the best for you. It is very important that you seek out a specialist career coach in the area you are interested in when you know what that interest is.

How Much Does a Career Coach Cost?

Now that you have a list of career coaches you would like to work with, you need to consider the cost of hiring a career coach. The initial investment may be difficult to bear but if it leads to a higher paying job then it will be worth every penny.

Depending on your budget, if you are looking for a career coach who has lots of experience you will have to pay more. But if you are not sure about making such a big investment you may consider a career coach on the lower pay scale.

Fees will vary depending on how long someone has worked as a coach, their qualifications and how many clients they have.