When I am asked what value a coach gives to a client the first thing that comes to mind for me is this - no one listens to you like a good coach does. Yes, there are a multitude of things that a coach offers their client however, the number one thing (in my opinion) is the level of listening they offer the client. By level, I mean, not the typical listening level we usually experience in a conversation - the kind where the "listener" is just waiting for the "speaker" to stop talking so they can chime in and tell them their story, that is, if they haven't already interrupted to get it in! I'm sure you know what I am talking about - you've got a migraine, they know someone who had a brain tumor; you want to go to Tahiti and they've been to Bali. Yes, you may say, it is a way to connect and it certainly is however, it is not what a coach is paid to do.
A coach hears what the client is saying and NOT saying. A coach hears the repeated messages that a client sends through the course of a single and often, over multiple conversations and this is something that a client simply cannot do for themselves. A coach is able to bring information to the client's awareness - it is the client's information, just information that they were not consciously aware of. This information often leads to surprising discoveries for the client. That is where the value lies. A coach listens without emotion or any investment in the outcome of the coaching for the client. When I say emotion, I am referring to the fact that when a spouse, sibling, best friend, parent etc. listens to you, they cannot do so without some sort of emotional investment or agenda, it is human nature. A coach is listening to you, for you. and without an emotional agenda or investment. That's why we don't coach our family and close friends!
When was the last time you felt heard in this way? What would the value be for you? Get curious. Sometimes just one coaching session (depending on the client's particular requirements) is enough to bring clarity and awareness to a client. Just imagine how great that would feel! How would getting clear on a particular situation or perhaps a problem where you feel there is only one choice feel? Consider it a gift to yourself to find out. You have nothing to lose and potentially so much to gain.
