Coach of the Month – April 2016 – Coaching Q & A « Executive and Life Coaching Courses and Information

At PSG we have a wide network of coaches. Every month we focus on one of the coaches from the community. This is our way to provide these coaches with an opportunity to introduce themselves and share their knowledge, experience and wisdom. We admire the uniqueness and individuality of our coaches and are truly happy to share their valuable insights with you.

In April we are delighted to introduce you to our Featured Coach of the Month, Michael Heffernan. Find out what Michael has answered about his main lessons learnt since qualifying with the Coaching Diploma, his fulfillment gained and approach to the future.

Take a look at our Coach of the Month – April 2016 Coaching Q & A

PSG: Since qualifying, what are the top 3 lessons you have learnt that support your growth as a coach:

Michael

Lesson 1: It’s important to have a Strong Sense of Self and know that you are enough and forgive yourself. You are not always going to do or say the right things so give yourself a break. Try not to lay awake worried because of something you said or the way you handled a situation. Although it’s important to reflect and learn don’t allow it become wasted energy you could be using elsewhere in a more productive way.

Lesson 2: Support is out there just ask for it! Understand that there is always an opportunity to learn while coaching. Learning can come from other coaches, your clients and in life’s daily circumstances. Support needs to be two way so share your experiences with others. One of the things I love most about our coaching community is the open and generous exchange of ideas. I find when I meet with other coaches to talk about coaching that the energy in the room is uplifting and inspiring. Keeping a strong support structure in place amplifies this energy.

Lesson 3: Continued Personal Development – Quality Coaching Circle (QCC) supports this and keeps you current. In an ever changing world we are better coaches if we are immersed in our work and culture. Walking our walk and constantly learning. Read more books, keep yourself challenged, write more blogs, and get supervised coaching.

PSG: To – date, as a coach, what has brought you the most fulfillment?

Michael

Coaching in its most basic form is helping others to achieve their desired goals. It is our humility and authenticity that allows us to connect deeply and empathize so well with clients. It is the hundreds of mistakes, wrong turns, dead ends and accumulated life lessons that give us so many powerful alternative perspectives to share with our clients. We are in a wonderful position to witness those ‘Aha’ moments. Sitting with a client and being present when this happens in so enjoyable for me as a coach. Although it’s always the client’s agenda there is a sneaky sense of “I helped them get there” by trusting the process and asking those powerful questions. It’s a great feeling that you are making a real change in people’s lives.

PSG: What do you foresee as the main reasons for clients to look for coaching in 2016?

Michael

I believe a number of my fellow coaches have touched on this before, however, what I continue to see is people wanting to make career moves and the confidence to make changes. The workplace has a new energy and the security that people yearned for during the recession, while still there is slowly being replaced by a new agenda to test the workforce and see what else is out there. A further point, I find clients sometimes feel guilty about the desire to look elsewhere for employment as they feel they may owe a company, because the Company employed them during the ‘rough’ times so there is a lot of work to do on shame and guilt in this context and the broader context too.