Additional Resources

Okay - we all know that personal change is hard and some situations are so challenging that additional help is necessary to get ahead.

So, if you are still frustrated with your lack of success or are feeling stuck or if you just want some additional help, you may benefit from working with a Professional Life or Leadership Coach.

Working with a Coach

A few things that I would highly recommend in looking for a coach:

• Make sure they have a credential with the International Coach Federation or ICF. Anyone who can spell the word "coach" can be a coach, but the ICF only awards its credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC) after a proper training program has been completed and both written and practical tests have passed. It is one of your only means of separating out the wanna-bees from the professionals.
• Interview at least three prospective coaches before deciding. Personal chemistry is important!
• Mutual respect is critical. If you really like the person you are interviewing but they have never had any experience such as yours, will you really respect them? Will they have credibility in your eyes? This is key - it is a peer to peer relationship!

Having a coach can help you achieve what you on your own are uncomfortable achieving or even trying for. It isn't about advice or telling you what to do. It is about asking you powerful questions, challenging your assumptions and helping you see a different perspective on things. Any coach who tells you what to do or provides answers for you, is not coaching - they are consulting.

Coaching is a process of self discovery. A coach may well challenge you to step up and may give you homework assignments to help you move from insight to action but at the end of the day, this is your life and your career - you might as well get used to taking accountability for it!

This is the big leagues and you are worth it. Give it a try.