The power of self-coaching

Coaching is powerful. Eight out of ten organisations use coaches to improve their teams’ performance and accelerate leadership development. Coaching can transform the way people operate at work, transform the way they feel about themselves and change the trajectory of their careers substantially.

Despite this, not everyone has access to a coach at work, and there is evidence that coaching activity is far more concentrated at the top of organisations, leaving many employees without the chance to experience the benefits. And even if you have had the opportunity of being coached, generally it is a one-off assignment, and you do not gain continual access to a coach.

What if you could harness the power of coaching in your day-day life and reap the benefits? What if you don’t need an external coach? What if you could self-coach?

Self-coaching is entirely possible and completely practical. The evidence for self-coaching is growing. Recent research shows “that self-coaching can bring meaningful, positive outcomes for clients, their teams, organisation and family.” [The impact]…”includes greater confidence, passion and motivation”. (Ellison, R)

Companies are also realising the power of a wider reach from coaching, and are embedding a culture that helps people to coach themselves, and their teams.

So what is ‘self-coaching?’ It is being able to act as your own coach in the moment, and when planning for future events. It is asking yourself questions that uncover new information, reframe thoughts and provide new insight. It is also using coaching tools and techniques to look at specific issues.

To be able to self-coach you either need to have been coached, and then continue to use the same approaches your coach used, or you need to be taught/coached on how to coach yourself. By enabling individuals to self-coach you are equipping people with a coach available to them in any moment. With self-coaching you always have your coach with you 100% of the time. Even in the most difficult moments you face.

This makes self-coaching a very attractive prospect for companies looking to embed a coaching culture.

The main barrier to effective self-coaching is merely, but crucially the motivation to actually do it. As a self-coach, you are only accountable to yourself. Yet with the right motivation and knowledge of effective coaching skills there is really no reason why you cannot be your own coach and have continuous access to your own untapped potential.

International Coach Federation (2009) Global Coaching Client Study.

Ellison, R (2009) Coaching at Work, Volume 4, Issue 5