Practice Makes The Coach Grow Stronger
Strengthening your biceps with weight training or pumping your heart on an outdoor run are two simple ways to activate your physical muscles. We want the same for your coaching muscle.
It’s a new year and we’re all being bombarded with the sentiment of ‘new year, new you’. More than any other time of year, people are focused on what they’re putting in their bodies and how they’re moving them, too.
We all know that if we want to build our physical muscles, we need to put in effort. So, after taking one of our coaching courses, whether that was last month or years ago, what have you been doing to strengthen your coaching muscle? What do your workouts look like?
Perhaps this year could be your year to build that muscle to be stronger than ever before, or perhaps it’s just about maintenance for you. No matter what, the method for growth is the same – repetition or practice.
The average person has 25 conversations each day. What would happen if you consciously chose one daily conversation and practiced asking as many Effective Questions as you possibly can? Switching gears to coach someone versus just ‘being yourself’ doesn’t have to feel awkward or messy. Get curious. Listen. Be with them. Ask ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions. Start with Heart.
The conversation you choose could be with a student that is grappling with balancing studies and their personal life. Or, a colleague that is unsure about their next step in their career. Or, your child who is experiencing some conflict with a friend. These are all instances where you can flex your coaching muscle in a specific conversation and implement the skills you’ve learned.
You also need to be coached! Practice and repetition are not just about you coaching others.
Just like a personal trainer needs to be familiar with the equipment and exercises themselves, you need to be familiar with being the coachee, too.
We strongly encourage you to seek out coaching for yourself. Reach out to fellow alumni or Certified Start With Heart Facilitators and form a coaching trio. Find a time that works for a few of you and take turns to coach each other. It will guarantee a great workout and improved muscle growth.
As always, we’re here to support your development and what better way than to practice during our monthly Coaching Practice Sessions. Join us on the last Wednesday of every month from January onwards to flex your coaching muscle with others (you can sign up here). Plus, join us for Coaching Day 2022 to continue developing your skills.