“You cannot coach a player to achieve
something that he or she isn't committed to achieving.”
– Germaine Porche'
& Jed Niederer
Authors
"...On the other hand, discipline yourself for the
purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness
is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and
also for the life to come."
- Saint Paul
1 Timothy
4:7-8 / NASV
Life coaching can be one of the most satisfying professions
in the world. You are allowed to come
alongside people who have dreams and desires and help them find ways to make
those dreams and desires become reality.
Life
coaching can also be one of the most frustrating and thankless jobs that one
could choose to follow. You invest time
and energy into people who do not listen to your advice; who make the same
mistakes over and over again; and who have no intention of every really succeeding
at anything. They are willing to pay you
for your service, but they are not willing to actually follow the advice they
pay for.
So
where is the balance for the life coach?
At what point do you see your work as a way to earn a living and when do
you see it as a waste of time and energy.
This question seems easy to answer, but hold on. For the person who have launched out into
coaching and it is their livelihood, the bold statement of "I do not do
this for the money" takes on a who different perspective.
Money Has It's Part
Don't
get me wrong here. I do not believe that
most coaches are in this for the money.
Most have a deep desire to help people and feel this is what God has
called them to do. I also don't believe
that people who seek coaching desire just to give their money away and get
nothing back for it. Most who seek out a
Life Coach desire to move forward and expect to do so. What I am saying however is that we all are
faced with those who do not follow advice, who do not intend to succeed in life
and who do pay our salaries.
Getting To Know You
One of
the best things any coach can do for themselves and for their clients is to
cover this issue before there is any agreement to coach and before any money or
time is spent. When I have a new client
I always allow our first meeting to be free.
They know when they come to me that this meeting is just a "get to
know you" time. I am not there to
coach, advise or give assignment. We
talk for only 30 minutes so I know if I can help them and they know if they
want me to.
What Are The
Expectations
Let
your perspective client know that you have no desire to waste their time or
money. You will not be doing the work
for them, but will coach them along the way to achieve their dreams and desires. Let them know that you will be giving them
work to do and that you expect them to do it if they want to make this
relationship successful. This way you
have stated your expectations and they have also allowed you to know what they
expect from you.
Never Set Up For
Failure
Never
fear or hesitate to let a perspective client know that you do not believe you
will be a good match. If you expect that
they do not intend to follow you help, or that it is just not a good match, do
not agree to coach them. Help them find
another coach that can help them or even let them know that they are not ready
for coaching at this time and look you up later.
You
will save yourself a lot of trouble, time and energy by just being a bit more
selective in your clients. Yes this is
your business and it is always hard to turn business away, however, the price
you pay now is nothing compared to what it would cost you to have a stream of
failed clients. Author and speaker Zig
Ziglar wisely said, "You don't pay the price for success - you pay the
price for failure. You enjoy the
benefits of success."
You matter to the world. You are here to make a difference and that
difference is good. Remember the
qualities of a real success-minded person: Be your best. Love God.
Have good manners. Discover the unknown.
Change the world.
John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker,
and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books,
training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our
website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.
© 2014 John
Patrick Hickey
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