Strategy #36: Offer people personal or executive coaching

The movie Chariots of Fire chronicles the story of a group of young men who are pursuing Olympic gold and glory in track and field in the years after the first World War. American sprinter Harold Abrahams (played by Ben Cross) had a strategy which at the time was considered downright loony – he hired a personal coach. Though common today, at the time the practice was frowned upon by authorities in the world of amateur athletics. Abrahams, however, was committed to his out-of-the-box strategy, and it paid off with a gold medal in the 100 meter dash.

Several years ago, the of hiring a personal coach to help an individual be more effective at work and in life seemed just about as wacky as Abrahams’ decision to hire a track coach appeared to his compatriots.  Today, however, the idea is catching on. Many individuals have retained the services of a personal coach, and thousands of people are promoting their coaching businesses. And a growing number of organizations are appreciating the value of providing coaching services for the members of their leadership teams. For example, as part of a larger strategic initiative, Henry Ford Health System retained a professional firm to provide coaching services for many of its top executives.  After all, if Michael Jordan, Joe Montana and Sarah Hughes needed coaches, couldn’t you and I benefit from having one?

Coach University (www.coachinc.com) pioneered training services for personal coaches. They also have a Corporate Coach University that you can find on their website. You can learn a lot about personal coaching, and do a search for a coach who meets your own needs, at the website www.coachville.com. Before you make a commitment, spend an hour or so perusing this site.You can also learn a lot by doing a Google search. For example, you might do a search on “success coach, Detroit” to find someone in the motor city, if that’s where you live. Spending some time studying the websites of personal coaches will also give you a feel for the services that are typically offered.

Caution:  Make sure you do your homework. There are people involved in “personal coaching” who have had no training or experience other than that they weren’t successful at whatever it was they were doing before they decided to hang up the coaching shingle.

For a list of good questions to ask a coach before retaining his or her services, send me an email at joe@joetye.com and I’ll send it right out.

“You can orient your life around a lot of things: wants, needs, shoulds, coulds, etc. But if you are clear on your values, and you orient your life around them, your chances of experiencing fulfillment are enhanced to the extreme... Orienting around your values, then, offers a perfect pathway to unity, wholeness, centeredness.”

Thomas J. Leonard: The Portable Coach

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